Member Article

Acorn Brewery goes international exporting 1,000 pints of Barnsley Bitter to Italy

A thousand pints of Barnsley Bitter are on their way to Italy after Acorn Brewery won an international export contract with an an Italian wholesale buyer.

The export order represents the independent brewery’s first international sale and builds on its growing trade in the UK market, which now sees them supply all five major supermarkets.

Acorn Brewery shipped a selection of its real ales to Italy via the wholesale deal last week. £10k worth of Acorn’s most popular brews including Barnsley Bitter, Barnsley Gold, Yorkshire Pride, Old Moor Porter and Gorlovka made up the order.

A total of 3,500 pints – some in bottles and some in travel-safe kegs - were packed on to pallets and loaded on to a lorry for the journey.

Acorn secured the export order following a chance meeting with Italian wholesalers at the CAMRA National Winter Ales festival in Derby earlier this year. An invitation to the Acorn Brewery followed and the buyers so liked what they saw and sampled that they shook hands on their first order.

The Italian export was shipped out this month around the same time that Acorn secured a new contract to supply 75 Morrisons stores across the north with its Old Moor Porter.

This deal means the brewery now counts all five established UK supermarkets – Asda, Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons - amongst its customers.

Acorn Brewery owner David Hughes said: “It is fantastic to think that Italian beer drinkers will soon be able to enjoy Barnsley Bitter as it will be distributed to bars, shops and restaurants across the north of the country.”

“We are delighted to secure our first big export order and plan to explore the overseas market further. We are supplying a growing number of pubs, bars, restaurants and retailers in the UK so the natural next step for our expansion is to tap into the growing international taste for craft beers.”

“These are exciting times for the business. We have learned a great deal through our first export experience and laid down the foundations for more overseas trade building on our growing business in the UK market.”

Acorn Brewery was established in 2003 and now produces around 30,000 pints of real ale every week at its brewery on Aldham industrial estate. It employs 12 and its turnover has reached £1.2 million following year-on-year growth.

Investment in new equipment last year enabled Acorn to increase production of bottled beers by 20% and introduce keg beers to its range.

Acorn delivers direct to over 400 pubs and bars in the north and midlands, and supplies to countless others via wholesalers. It supplies its bottled beers to pubs, bars and more than 50 retail outlets including delis, farm shops and supermarkets.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .