York Brewery targets overseas markets after national sales success

York Brewery is set to start exporting after achieving record UK-wide sales for its popular beer range.

Based at Toft Green in York, the regional brewer has appointed overseas trade specialist, Chamber International, to help launch its ales into overseas markets.

York Brewery, which was founded in 1996, has seen its beers, including Yorkshire Terrier, Centurion’s Ghost and Otherside IPA, sell across the UK as regional guest ales through brewers and distributors such as Carlsberg, H.B Clark and Heineken.

Gary Conway, York Brewery sales and marketing director, said: “We focus on brewing very high quality beers. Our national sales have led to enquiries from overseas and we aim to start exporting in 2017.

“We have increased sales year on year and it has always been part of our strategy to grow the business.

“We are still in the very early stages but are already looking at the US, Scandinavia, Belgium and other European countries and have started talks with some importers. There is a market out there and I’d like to think that in five years’ exports will account for around 30% of our sales.

“We view Chamber International as an important external department and plan to use its expertise and contacts to get us started and then open the door to wider support. We are very pleased to be working with them.”

York Brewery, which owns five pubs in York including The Last Drop Inn, The Yorkshire Terrier and The Three Legged Mare, has around 35 staff, a £3m turnover and is a sister company to Mitchells of Lancaster.

Davis Attia, Chamber International senior export adviser who is advising York Brewery, added: “Yorkshire is making a name for itself as an exporter of regional high-quality craft food and drink products from cheeses to artisan coffees and beers.

“York Brewery brews exceptionally high-quality beers and we look forward to supporting them as they generate overseas sales in beer loving nations around the world.”

Chamber International helps hundreds of new and experienced exporters with a wide range of specialist services to make exporting easier and more cost effective each year and is exclusively partnered with London headquartered global testing organisation, Intertek, to assist with a wide range of issues including product conformity.