Modernising the craft beer industry with suppliers Brewology

“THE brewing industry is a different animal altogether compared to only a few years ago” according to the managing director David Midgley of craft beer supplier Brewology.

Brewology, which operates just across from Leeds United’s home ground at Elland Road, was launched by entrepreneurs Mr Midgley (not to be confused with Mr Midgley Snr who also works in the industry) and his wife Kirsty only one year ago. It has since gone from strength to strength in its attempts to revolutionise the brewing industry.

The firm was born out of much less auspicious circumstances than they now find themselves in with international orders in the pipeline, and a one-year anniversary marking a hugely successful first 12 months.

David was previously employed at Microdat, which went into administration in June 2014.

After the demise of Microdat, David received a barrage of calls of previous customers needing support and friends wanting to set up.

Brewology began solely supplying software and automated systems for the brewing industry, and the infant business’ first job was with the C&C Group in Ireland, who contacted David direct after his experience at Microdat.

While in Ireland, he received a call from the Freedom Brewery, a concept straight off the boat from Canada that needed help installing a brewhouse automation system. “It snowballed after that.” said David.

With a huge amount of water used in the brewing industry, the firm’s unique cask filling machines and advanced algorithms help streamline the process, as well as reducing water waste which helps both the environment, and to keep costs down.

Both these things combine to make Brewology a unique business, which is set for major expansion.

“We are the only UK manufacturer making cask fillers. You can fill a cask by hand but it is very labour intensive, and a gallon cask can take more if filled properly. ” David said.

“The UK is unique in that it has seen a resurgence in the popularity of craft brewing, and similarly in the US the scene is growing.

“Despite the doom and gloom, with pubs closing down frequently, more pubs are opening up to take their place with a better offering of good food, atmosphere and of course, craft beers.

“The dynamic of how people enjoy beer is different in different environments. It’s not a case of having several pints after work with your mates, people are now dining out and not drinking as much, they’ve become more discerning in their beer tastes.

“We’re definitely not binge-drinking like we used to and so the brewing industry is a different animal altogether these days.”

The firm has invested in critical new machinery to keep up with these changing trends, but it’s the owner’s’ knowledge of their industry that makes Brewology something special.

They understand that the brewing supply chain is long and fragile, reliant on raw materials that need to be handled quickly and efficiently, and keep on top of trends.

Kirsty said:  “We are proud to be British and one of our main marketing points is that we have local nationwide service teams to back up our UK manufacturing facilities. While it would be our dream to crack the US market – it is indeed a tough market and for now we are happy to service the UK market and grow our business steadily.

David finished: “Leeds is a strategic place to find ourselves, we’ve got a good manufacturing background here, and good transport links, and it will be a good base for growth.”