St Peters Brewery accumulates craft breweries. Which way forward?
James Beeson has the story in the Grocer as he often has and of course its also been nicked by the S*n, also a frequent occurrence.
To avoid administration Sarf London brewery Gipsy Hill has been sold to St Peters Brewery (Bungay). In fact as of a week ago its now known as Sunrise Alliance Beverages.
I had missed that earlier in October it had also taken control of West London’s Portobello brewery and since 2023 has owned Curious (which earlier had brought out some elements of Wild Brewery).
It reflects the pressures that the craft beer sector faces including the cost of living crisis, post-pandemic debt and business rates. The Budget on 30th October addressed some of these issues (up to a point) though criticism of the impact of higher wages is entirely misplaced. Where do brewers think the money comes from to allow people to buy their products? Share dividends?
The wider issue with Sunrise Alliance is why they are accumulating breweries, what their business model is for the future and where their capital comes from.
Something to ponder over a glass of Gipsy Hill Hepcat perhaps.
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