Lerwick Brewery has confirmed a deal with UK distributor and wholesaler, Ooberstock giving its beers UK-wide distribution for the first time. These include Lerwick Brewery’s 60° North craft ale, pale ale Skipper’s Ticket and oatmeal stout Tushkar which will sit in Ooberstock’s catalogue alongside a growing range of exciting craft breweries including Brewdog, Hammerton and Eight Degrees.
Ooberstock is one of the drinks industry’s most innovative and ambitious suppliers specialising in distributing alcohol and soft drinks brands to the on-trade and providing a wide range of drinks to pubs, bars, clubs and hotels across the UK. Its catalogue contains emerging and household names across spirits, beers, craft ales, soft drinks and wine.
Major landmark for Lerwick Brewery
Graham Mercer, Distribution Manager, Lerwick Brewery, says: “Ooberstock is one of the industry’s most interesting and well-connected suppliers. Their growth and profile in the industry is exciting for us as an ambitious brewery and we are sure they are going to be a great partner. Securing UK-wide distribution is a major landmark for the Brewery, after just two years of operation.”
Location, heritage, great taste
Stephen Brogan, owner of Ooberstock, says: “Despite being one of the UK’s most remote breweries – closer to Bergen in Norway than Edinburgh – Lerwick Brewery has lived up to its reputation of providing high and consistent-quality ales in large volumes. Their unique location and heritage, coupled with the great taste of their beers, makes them all the more interesting for our customers, and we are thrilled to have them on board. This deal with Lerwick Brewery is part of the continued expansion of our craft beer offering and we will be working closely with them to capitalise on the huge amount of interest there is in their beers.”
Ooberstock was launched in 2012 and is fast becoming recognised as the leading low cost drinks distributor, operating at lower cost than traditional wholesalers and offering transparency to customers through clear and simple pricing. The company also leads the way when it comes to web ordering and is embracing a range of e-commerce solutions that will help drive their customers’ businesses.
About Lerwick Brewery
Sitting on the latitude line of 60° North, the Lerwick Brewery sits at the very edge of the UK. Its unique location provides a consistent climate where winters are mild and summers cool. The regular humidity together with plentiful clear water and crisp, fresh air provides the vital ingredients to brew beer with individual character and a unique dimension.
Lerwick Brewery was established in 2011 by the Mercer brothers – John, Graham and Jimmy – who have worked closely together as a team for over 20 years. Lerwick Brewery has fully-customised premises in Staneyhill, Lerwick, complete with the very latest UK-manufactured 12 barrel plant and a 500 items-per-hour bottling and labelling plant, allowing the team to brew 2,000 litres (6,000 bottles) at a time. In January 2014 the Brewery signed a strategic deal with Cairngorm Brewery in Aviemore, which allowed the Lerwick Brewery team to drastically increase its bottling capacity to 20,000 bottles a day.
The Brewery’s beers – craft lager 60° North, pale ale Skipper’s Ticket and newly-launched oatmeal stout Tushkar – are attracting widespread acclaim, particularly 60° North, a finalist in the prestigious Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards’ Best Alcoholic Drink category, a Highly Commended award at the Highlands & Islands Food and Drink Awards 2014, and also the recent winner of a Great Taste Award.
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