The aim of the new service is to bring together anyone who wants to brew their own beer or find someone to brew it for them, enabling them to trade directly with breweries and suppliers.
BrewBroker said it provided a solution for businesses such as a breweries, pubs or restaurants, giving them a network of brewing, packaging and logistics partners. It is focused on breweries that need to scale up, those looking to start up a brewery, or operations such as bars looking to source their own beer brand.
Crowdfunding
BrewBroker launched the initiative after raising a £390,000 seed investment via crowdfunding platform CrowdCube last year. The BrewBroker team, which worked with breweries and suppliers, has taken a year to build, test and bring the concept to market.
Ben Morgan-Smith, co-founder of BrewBroker, said the idea came after seeing industry colleagues face challenges in launching a new beer to market.
“Our huge brewing industry currently has no way to easily communicate and trade within itself. From giant brewers at the top to the small craft and entrepreneur brewers in their infancy, there is no one place to go to expand or make their brewing dreams come true,” he said.
Expansion in sight
The BrewBroker team plans to expand its network of more than 85 suppliers, covering kegging, canning, bottling, design and labelling, to several hundred over the coming months.
Suppliers based throughout the UK include Harbour Brewing Co, Hogs Back Brewery, Laine Brew Co, Brewhouse & Kitchen and Kegstar, alongside international brewers based in France, Denmark, Spain and Croatia. There is also a network of more than 70 buyers, ranging from start-up beer brands, breweries, restaurant and pub groups, as well as consumers.