Market grows for Robinsons’ beers
MANAGEMENT at family brewer Frederic Robinsons has raised a glass to growing sales of its brews to pubs outside its estate.
The group, which has been based in Stockport for 175 years, saw turnover rise by 4% to 56.1m in the year to March, according to newly-filed accounts.
Pre-tax profits jumped to £3.3m from £1.8m.
The company, which has around 340 pubs across the North West and North Wales, said sales growth came from free trade, or sales to pubs outside its portfolio, which was up by £1.2m. Off licence sales grew by £400,000.
“Free trade, national accounts, off trade and exports are all in very good growth,” said the directors. “We are now exporting bottle beers to eight countries. As always in these areas margins are tight and competition is strong. We have ambitious plans for growth in these areas.”
Robinsons, which employs 290 people, was heartened by this growth but admitted the margins are smaller than selling to its own estate where revenues were flat. Contract packaging also grew, contributing £5.3m, up from £5m. The company said its bottling hall handled 60,000 barrels, a record amount. “What is refreshing is that more and more of this is our own product” said the report. The division has 40 customers and demand is outstripping supply.
Since the year end the group has reported strong demand for Trooper, an ale brewed for heavy metal band Iron Maiden which has apparently attracted interest from 100 countries.
The group said it had reduced the number of large capital expenditure programmes, instead investing smaller amounts into a greater number of pubs. A new, fully automated, brewhouse has generated big energy and labour savings together with a level of brewing consistency “that was previously unachievable”. The brewery also opened a new visitor centre in March.
