L.H.B.S

[cask is best]

I have been reading a fair few topics from members recently about how cheap or reasonable prices of kits and equipment is from Wilkinsons. Great in the present economic climate. However lets not forget your local home brew shop [if one is available near where you live] I'm fortunate enough to be in employment. Not a great job but i don't have to choose between heating and eating at this present time. Anyway my point is i buy all of my home brew kits and equipment from my lhbs which has been trading since, well since i was a boy as i remember my Dad using the store and it's still there and hardly changed inside or out.
I visited Durham recently and was talking to a lady in the indoor market who had a very good stall with everything one could want for home beer and wine making and she was telling me she cannot compete with the likes of Wilkingsons, Tesco etc. I did buy some sparklets off her which i needed. My point is from the local home brew store you pay a couple of pounds extra but in my case if it ever closed down it would be a very sad day indeed. I get advice and friendly service and it's nce to go to an old fashioned shop rather than the hustle and rush of a big hardware store or hypermarket.
Since i started making home brew again i have got three people into making beer and they all use the lhbs so i feel i have done my bit for a family run business long may they still be around as I'm sure they would be missed if the big boys forced them out due to their undercutting of anything and everything.
:
CIB.
PS I'm in no way connected to any lhbs.

 

[Mark1964]

Its good when you can find someone selling at a decent price but unfortunately most local brew shops are a rip off

 

[PD]

Hear hear for the lhbs. they are a little more expensive I agree, mines is certainly not a rip off, ( although I do question some of the prices he charges...then I don't buy that item ) He recently been selling brand new 33 litre fermenting buckets/bins for £6 each. That's good.
I use t'internet but do like to drop in at my lhbs for a chat and a purchase.

 

[cask is best]

I think you have to remember Mark they are small family run businesses so their prices will be slightly higher than the big boys. What you do get is free expert advice.
My lhbs owner even told me i will most probably get all the stuff i need from Tesco etc cheaper :wha: I smiled said i know that but i prefare to shop here. Still cannot understand why the old guy said that

 

[Mark1964]

a little more expensive try £6 for 100g of hops dont know where you go but the only one in Hull is a joke

The owner offers no advice and you have to order certain grains 2 weeks in advance no way would i ever use them again

 

[cask is best]

Don't do whole grain just kits so cannot comment. I have actualy had kits from the what i call bargaing corner where the tins are dented or slightly out of date for cheaper than Wilkinsons Coopers pilsner dented can a tenner for instance.
It's Gardeners hbs as it happens if that is the one you are talking about. Very reasonable. But belive me i would not shop there if i thought they were ripping me off. I think it would have gone out of buisness many years ago if it was ripping people off instead of lasting 30 odd years at the same shop by the same family. Think about it.
When i have been in no matter which attendant is on hand i always get advice if i ask for it. eveything i have gone in for never once had to wait for it to be delivered even the king keg top tap i ordered.
:
cib

 

[Moley]

I consider myself quite fortunate in that I have two good local homebrew shops.

Harris Homebrew, the home of Harris Filters, is one of those which seems to have been going forever. Their shop fittings certainly don't seem to have changed much since the '70s.

Tesco only seem to be playing with this at the moment, their stock levels are derisory and their prices are unremarkable.

Wilkinson's stock range is still very limited, but their price on kits is marginally better than Harris.

Harris thrash Wilkinson on choice of kits and on prices for yeast, additives, airlocks & bungs, corks, stoppers, fermenters and just about everything else. You can also talk to them and get advice from people who know and understand the products and the processes.

My LHBIMS (local homebrew indoor market stall - I don't expect that acronym to catch on), beat all of the others on prices but fall slightly shorter on advice.

 

[caerleon]

Most LHBS have to go thru suppliers that insist on minimum order quantites, e.g. if you want to buy Malt you need to buy direct from the Maltsters and they expect by the Ton! If you cannot afford that, then you have to go thru a middle man and buy less, but pay more for it! Not much of a markup on some brewing foodstuffs.

 

[cask is best]

Most LHBS have to go thru suppliers that insist on minimum order quantites, e.g. if you want to buy Malt you need to buy direct from the Maltsters and they expect by the Ton! If you cannot afford that, then you have to go thru a middle man and buy less, but pay more for it! Not much of a markup on some brewing foodstuffs.

And so there lies the answer. The small lhbs don't have the cash nor the space to order tons of malt and going thru a middle man they have to as you say make a mark up somewhere.
:thumb:
CIB

 

[dennisking]

Although I buy the bulk of my hops and grains from Rob I still drive the 12 miles to my local shop every couple of months for odds and sods.

 

[lovelldr]

I would love a lhbs, but the closest I have is a chemist who sell the odd few bits. They are fairly decent in most respects, but the lack of stuff let's it down, and then there's the fact that advice is non-existent... You guys who have a lhbs are really lucky!

 

[oldstout]

Mine is Cheers in Houghton-Le-Spring (Wine-Online.co.uk) I'm a big supporter of local business whenever I can be :thumb: I cannot fault the help, advice and occasional discount I get from this shop - I would not get that at Wilko or Tesco :nono:

No brainer for me - these folks live and breathe Homebrewing and have done for 20 years plus and need to make a living and they provide a service I use, yes they may be undercut by some of the bigger players, but they have the personal touch, and that is worth one or two pounds extra in my book

:

 

[doyley]

I do buy a lot of stuff on line,but I have a trip (45 miles there and back) about every two weeks to the Dove in Ipswich. An excellent pub selling a dozen or so real ales and which has a well stocked home brew shop attached. The best of both worlds.

 

[stevie1556]

I don't have a LHBS, although in Bury St Edmonds (about a 15-20 min drive) there is a shop called Butterworths, it's a health food type shop, but they do a selection of beer and wine kits, bungs, airlock, chemicals, etc. My 2 orders for bits I've used homebrewer sites on the net, so I'm possibly supporting a homebrew shop.

 

[Andyhull]

I buy my kits from gardiners too, as stated they are a tiny bit more expensive than the online stores and supermarkets but when you add delivery charges (etc) they actually work out several pounds cheaper!

This is only on kits though, as Mark says they are expensive on AG products and they don't stock that much either.
Their equipment is generally bang on price wise e.g. little bottler is £7.49 putting bang in the middle of most places and starter kits with keg or bottles from £49.99 to £59.99 for the premium ones.
I suspect that after being in buisness so long they know their main customer type and stock accordingly
I like the shp as they are friendly and i like the type of oldyworld style of it too.

I will continue to shop at my LHBS as it's convenient and for my needs at this time just fine. :)

Once the giants have rid themselves of these niche places you will be stuck with expensive online delivery charges or will have to suck it up and only use the limited products they sell! (This is only from a hull kit brewers point of view)

Andy