Hi
@samale
I'll give you a long answer to a simple question...
To keep the spend under control, we'll have to phase-in different packaging as we get rolling.
Having a lot of conversations currently with publicans and locals.
To begin, the simplest and least expensive option is to cask it and get it to pubs. Not good margins but it means we are up and running and able to optimise the kit and our process while generating a bit of income. For that reason, and the feedback, it feels like the right thing to do a good local cask bitter with broad appeal to pub goers.
Not over complicated, just a very decent drop that will fit expectations in rural Cheshire.
Keg opens up more outlets for us, but there's some additional cost in packaging and filling gear (dependent on what we use). We're crunching through the numbers for steel kegs, ecokeg, polykeg, keykeg, whether to carb in the keg or get a CT, whether to keg condition in the eco's. And so on. Either way, cask first then keg second. Entering the craft-keg world gets us more pub/bar/restaurant outlets and the ability to get a bit more creative with the beers we make.
Then finally consumer packaging. I have applied already for licensing so this will be in place when we're ready.
But do we bottle or can? Retailers seem not to like package conditioned so much. They'll buy it but I've been told a few times that they don't like bottle conditioned on the shelf for too long. So again we need to carb/filter and that's more cost. Selling direct to the public via web, in can or bottle conditioned is not so much of an issue for craft drinkers, so we can start there. Better margin for us without the retailer, but not as wide a reach. I've thought about this for traditional English ales, but there's a lot of '3 for a fiver' competition and I'm not going down that road. We will probably keep the bitter on cask and bottle/can the more interesting product. Time will tell us.
So the simple answer is traditional English cask, to start with. Then we can get a bit more fancy :)
