The North's bars and venues are under huge pressure as the costs crisis goes on – now a group of leaders from the beer industry has joined forces again to launch an ale to give those venues a February boost.
It’s been a brutal time for the hospitality industry as costs keep rising, hitting customers and venues alike. Just this week we reported that Liverpool’s Carnival Brewing Company had gone into administration with its assets being put up for sale.
Last year, David Beattie, senior client director at Continuous, teamed up with Manchester's Track Brewing Co and a group of key brewing suppliers to launch Fusion, billed as “a pale ale brewed by the community for the community”. Supporters were urged to visit their local bars and pubs to try the beer for themselves.
The beer was such a success that Continuous and Track, alongside Yakima Chief Hops, yeast and fermentation specialists White Labs Copenhagen, and Norfolk-based malt suppliers Crisp Malt, have brought it back this year – in cans as well as on keg. The can says: “We know it’s no magic wand but craft beer is built on connection and community and we are honoured to be a part of it.”
David Beattie said the February launch date was chosen because pubs and bars need a boost in the early part of the year after Dry January and when customers are still “tightening their belts” amid the cost-of-living crisis.
At last night's launch in the Buyers Club in Liverpool, he said: “Something like this to drive footfall in February, to really kickstart February and start that bounceback ahead of hopefully a prosperous year for them, is absolutely critical. They need to start February with real momentum.
“We had 100+ venues serving Fusion last year ,and made 60 hectolitres of beer. The reaction was absolutely incredible. We were blown away by the sales last year and the appetite for everyone to be involved this year, so we've increased the batch size from 60 hectolitres to 100 hectolitres, which is equivalent to about 17,500 pints.
“It’s available in kegs and cans this year, which is brilliant, so we can support more independent venues. But it's just brilliant to see it progress. It's brilliant to see the excitement build around the project from all the partners, from all the venues that took part, the interest from new venues and the interest from consumers who tried it last year and were wondering when we were going to launch it this year.”
Hospitality firms already battling high costs, and whose customers have less money to spend, remain worried about the impact of the upcoming changes to National Insurance contributions.
Just yesterday, ƵHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls welcomed the latest interest rate cut but said: “If the Government really wants hospitality businesses to help deliver its growth agenda, it should delay the changes to employer NICs.
“After the sector was the biggest contributor to economic growth in November, these tax changes will slam the brake on the sector’s growth potential and instead force businesses to cut investment, cut jobs and increase prices.”
David said the message from Fusion was simple – support your local venue. He said: “There are about 39/40 venues shutting per week, which sounds like such a dry figure to people when you're talking to them. People only really notice when it's their pub, or their local bar, or their favourite place, or the place they had their first date or they meet up with their friends, that shuts.
“It's really only then that people take notice. Which is a real shame, because if you don't go and support these places, and you don't drink there and stay for the extra round, and invite your mates or suggest it as somewhere to meet up with friends, these venues do go. Which is absolutely criminal. If you care about these venues, go out and support them.”
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