Cumbrian Brewery Bucks Economic Trend
Hawkshead Brewery in the Lake District reports a 17.5% increase in production in 2012, comprehensively bucking the economic trend.
Production rose to 5,250 barrels (190,000 gallons or 1.5 million pints). This level of growth was made possible by the brewery’s second major investment in plant and equipment in its ten year life.
Hawkshead’s Alex Brodie said: “It is tough in the beer market at present, with the economic squeeze, the government forcing the price up by beer duty increases, the large number of new breweries and the lack of finance, so we’ve done very well to increase our share. We are still a small brewery and the key for us now is not volume growth, but to solidify our niche position in the North West and concentrate on doing what we do better and better. “
