Harrogate beer retailer set for £2.5m turnover as business doubles

Beer Hawk, the online speciality beer retailer Beer Hawk, is preparing to ship 500,000 bottles to UK homes over the Christmas period as demand for its craft beers and real ales continues to grow.

Established three years ago, BeerHawk.co.uk has capitalised on the increase in demand for real ales and craft beers.

Turnover at the Harrogate-based business is expected to double to £2.5m in this current financial year.

This growth period follows Beer Hawk launching UK’s first national media partnership for craft beer - Telegraph Beer launched this summer provides home delivery options for UK beer lovers.

The business has also extending its range of beers by 20% to include lines from new breweries in Italy, Japan and Spain.

Mark Roberts, co-founder of Beer Hawk, said: “In just three years we have grown from a small start-up to one boasting 14 full-time staff.

“With orders already coming in ahead of the festive rush, Beer Hawk expects to ship 500,000 bottles of beer this Christmas – doubling last year’s figures – with an additional eight people being recruited to cope with demand.”

Mr Roberts said that Beer Hawk’s success has been enabled by the growth in online retailing alongside an increasing trend to consume premium beers at home.

He added: “A recent survey of more than 2,000 beer drinkers conducted by Beer Hawk found that 40 per cent of those surveyed said their first choice would be to purchase craft beer from an online retailer, compared to 30 per cent from a supermarket.

“Our research also found that the most popular beer styles are Pale Ales (in particular India Pale Ale), followed by Abbey and Trappist beers. These styles have recently overtaken more traditional styles such as lagers and bitters, providing a further indication that consumers are becoming more discerning in their choices.”

Beer Hawk is based at Saltergate Business Park on the outskirts of Harrogate, North Yorkshire.