Selling beer...

[gedburg101]

Right,

Might be a bit mad, but I feel I'm making good beer. I'm finalising the recipes on a handful of solid session beers and a dirty egotistical side of my psyche would love to see my beer in a pub, being bought by people...

I'm not too bothered about making money out of it. If I cover my fairly modest overheads for brewing then I'd be happy.

Have any of you every done this? Did you find it easy, hard etc?

What would I need to do to sell small batches (Probably a case of bottles a time)?

Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[Covrich]

I dont know the ins and outs but you will need a licence and I think need to go through all that food and safety red tape, it is a serious headache I would image if You're not bothered about making profit..

hopefully someone can offer better insight

 

[terrym]

There is another thread on here at present which covers setting up a brewery.
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=61078
Your ambition is similar but on a smaller scale.
One of the major considerations appears to be dealing with HMRC, which seem to be problematic (as indeed most dealings with them can be even on a simple tax return!).
So if you are serious you need to find out how your idea would involve HMRC and then decide if its worth it.

 

[Leon103]

That was my thread back when I got offered a big brewing space. We ate now one of the fastest growing breweries in Britain.

Not.

In the end brewing won't be a hobby it will become a business even if kept small. A lot of the fun will go out of it. If you are brewing at home everything you make is taxable even if you throw it down the drain.

 

[simon12]

You need to register for everything a large brewery would to even sell 1 bottle solikely to much work to do this legally. The basics you need to do are.
HMRC
Register as a brewery and to pay alcohol duty (a long form but not that hard)
Council
Register with food hygiene/health and safety the same as a commercial kitchen(very easy just notify them and they will come to you)
Check with planning as a brewery should have B2 planning but you should be OK on a very small scale.
Trading standards will contact you and check how you measure ABV and label allergens and if bottling that you bottle labels match legal requirements.
Alcohol licensing
If you want to sell to the public you need a registered premises license (long form takes 1-2 months for a decision) and a personal license (4-5 hour course very easy costs about £100)
If you want to sell to businesses you need to register with The Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme which I think only became compulsory this year. see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-alcohol-wholesaler-registration-scheme-awrs#when-you-need-to-apply

 

[Robin54]

A new bar has opened in my town and besides stocking their own beer they also have a pump for some wacky stuff brewed down the road in a shop basement, so I guess there's some hope.

 

[simon12]

It certainly can be done just alot of forms.

 

[JFB]

"Your Brew" are going to make a guide on how to start a micro brewery from your house. From the emails ive had they are choosing two home brewers and help them through the paper work to set them up and then write a how to guide on it.

 

[MyQul]

"Your Brew" are going to make a guide on how to start a micro brewery from your house. From the emails ive had they are choosing two home brewers and help them through the paper work to set them up and then write a how to guide on it.

Not that I'm planning to start a micro brewery from my flat (Im not sure Mrs MQ would agree to that) but I'd be interested in reading the guide just out of interest. Your Brew? do you have any links to them or their guide?

 

[JFB]

Not that I'm planning to start a micro brewery from my flat (Im not sure Mrs MQ would agree to that) but I'd be interested in reading the guide just out of interest. Your Brew? do you have any links to them or their guide?

They were the guys who were starting a personalized bottle top business. There was a thread on here about it with a link to get on there mailing list which I did and now get the odd email from them, Cant see any sign of a website or facebook on the emails though and I just tried googling them and came up with nothing.
Sounds like a good read . Not sure when it will be available and if there hoping to make money from it??

 

[MyQul]

They were the guys who were starting a personalized bottle top business. There was a thread on here about it with a link to get on there mailing list which I did and now get the odd email from them, Cant see any sign of a website or facebook on the emails though and I just tried googling them and came up with nothing.
Sounds like a good read . Not sure when it will be available and if there hoping to make money from it??

I remember that. I signed up for some of the bottle tops but I didnt order any in the end because I couldnt work out how to create the image/do the text

 

[Leon103]

I wouldn't expect much from them. They plan to get two homebrewers to run a brewery from home whilst helping with paperwork. They say they had hundreds of applicants, surely there can't be that many in a position to open a brewery especially once they know what is involved.

 

[JFB]

I remember that. I signed up for some of the bottle tops but I didnt order any in the end because I couldnt work out how to create the image/do the text

I didn't order any either. Couldn't see me buying them in the future so not really on to ask for free samples.
I'm surprised your not still on there mailing list.

 

[JFB]

I wouldn't expect much from them. They plan to get two homebrewers to run a brewery from home whilst helping with paperwork. They say they had hundreds of applicants, surely there can't be that many in a position to open a brewery especially once they know what is involved.

Did think it a little funny. They could be dumping two blokes with a whole world of pain. Then walking away with a nice little "how to".
But you do see a lot of interest in the subject so who knows.

 

[MyQul]

I didn't order any either. Couldn't see me buying them in the future so not really on to ask for free samples.
I'm surprised your not still on there mailing list.

I might still be. Perhaps their stuff has got to my junk folder?

 

[gedburg101]

Do you have that email handy?

Would be interested.

 

[Leon103]

Do you have that email handy?

Would be interested.

Deleted mine and from their last email they have choosen people now

 

[dad_of_jon]

Right,

Might be a bit mad, but I feel I'm making good beer. I'm finalising the recipes on a handful of solid session beers and a dirty egotistical side of my psyche would love to see my beer in a pub, being bought by people...

I'm not too bothered about making money out of it. If I cover my fairly modest overheads for brewing then I'd be happy.

Have any of you every done this? Did you find it easy, hard etc?

What would I need to do to sell small batches (Probably a case of bottles a time)?

Any insight would be appreciated.

speak nicely to a brewpub owner with your proposition and give them a few sample bottles. if you can brew your beers on the premesis the paperwork has pretty much already been done :-)

 

[simon12]

Yes what dad of jon said. If you can get an existing brewery to let you use there kit (or just use your recipe and make it for you) they can sell it to you duty paid and you just need to register for the AWRS scheme to sell it trade or if you just want it for sale as part of a hobby get them to sell it direct to the pub you want it in.

 

[Davemc]

I don't want to hijak this thread (if this needs to be a new one let me know) but I am curious to know how the UBREW business model works within HMRC rules.

They say they are a registered brewery - "UBREW is a registered brewery - meaning that if after you've brewed a few batches and feel like going pro, all you have to do is register with HMRC as brewer. You then can pay duty on any beer you brew, and are legal to sell it. Full details on this are available on HMRC's website, but you can always chat to us in person for tips"

I would have thought that as a registered brewery, anything brewed on the premises would attract beer duty, even brews not intended for sale.

My reason for asking is that I am considering a similar though smaller scale venture that would allow home brewers or brew clubs to brew their own beers. While also brewing beers for local micropubs etc.