BREWING industry stalwart, Andy Agnew, has been appointed to the board of Inveralmond Brewery, an independent brewer of craft beers based in Perth.
The former Scottish & Newcastle and Heineken executive brings with him over 40 years’ experience in the brewing industry and signals an exciting change of pace for the 17 year-old brewery.
Begins a spokesperson: “Since the introduction of the Progressive Beer Duty, which gave tax breaks to brewers below a certain size, there has been an exponential growth in small brewers across the UK.
“It is estimated there are now more than 1,000, higher than at any time since the 1940s, and around 80 more are expected to start up this year. Add to that a desire to eat local, seek out quality natural ingredients, and it’s never been a better time to be an independent brewer.”
Fergus Clark, managing director of Inveralmond Brewery, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Andy to our board.
“He brings a wealth of experience into an organisation where we are fully committed to growth and development of our range of quality craft beers. His strategic knowledge and creativity will strengthen the business as we move forward in this developing market.”
Gearing up to satisfy burgeoning market demand, Inveralmond Brewery has recently invested in more efficient production equipment and is looking to significantly increase production capacity over the short-term.
New domestic and export markets are being developed, and plans are well-advanced for new products to service trade customer and consumers at home and abroad. The brand can now be found in most multiple retailers, including Tesco and Sainsbury, and exports its products to countries in continental Europe, Americas and Asia Pacific.
Employing 18 people, Inveralmond Brewery’s turnover hit £1.5m last year and demonstrated an increase on the previous year.
It is expected that the combination of Agnew’s operational and commercial knowledge, which includes production control, international logistics strategy and export sales development, will help position the brewery to capitalise on the opportunities presented by this exciting growth market.
Chair of Inveralmond Brewery, Erik Ostman, stated: “We have extended our board to give us a balance of skills and experience that will enable us to drive sustainable and profitable growth for the business. The market is changing quickly, creating opportunities daily and we feel well-placed as an established producer of craft beers to take advantage of any opportunities ahead of us.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Inveralmond Brewery board members
- Erik Ostman, non-executive chair
- Fergus Clark, managing director
- John McKeith, company secretary and non-executive director
- Bob Hogg, commercial director
- Ken Duncan, head brewer
- Andy Agnew, non-executive director
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