Brewery sells one pint a minute as craft beer’s comeback continues

BREWER Acorn has sold one pint a minute of its Barnsley Bitter after “significant” growth.

In the past 12 months the Barnsley brewer has seen sales increase by 12% and the firm wants to invest in a bigger coldstore and new fermenters and conditioning tanks at the Wombwell-based independent brewery in the next year.

Acorn’s sales figures have also shown that they have sold three pints of real ale a minute right across its range of permanent ales which includes Barnsley Gold, Yorkshire Pride, Blonde, Gorlovka and Old Moor Porter.

Acorn Brewery owner Dave Hughes said: “Our latest order books show that, all in all, we now supply our customers across the UK and Europe with just over half a million pints of Barnsley Bitter a year.

“We couldn’t believe it when we sat down and worked that out. The count up has been a real boost – and spurs us on to invest in further development at the brewery and go on increasing production and sales. Our aim is to increase trade again by at least 20 per cent this year.

“We’ve grown successfully since we set up in 2003 and have doubled production over the last seven years from 50 brewers’ barrels to 100 a week to meet demand. In the last 12 months, we have seen some really great additions to our customer list including our first exports.”

Acorn delivers to around 400 pubs and bars in the North of England and secured a contract to supply 75 Morrisons stores, as well as other major supermarkets Asda, Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s.

The firm’s acquisition of the Old Number 7 pub in Barnsley town centre in 2011 has given the firm a boost, with between 8% and 10% of all its beer now being sold there.

Acorn Brewery, established in 2003, is based on Aldham industrial estate in Wombwell and has a turnover of £1.2 million. It employs 12 people and produces around 30,000 pints of real ale every week.