Broughton Brewery in fundraising bid

Like many firms, the coronavirus lockdown has hit Broughton Brewery – based in the village of Broughton since 1979 – extremely hard.

“We were a victim of our own success,” said brewery sales manager Cheryl Anson. “Just before the lockdown happened we had lots of beer ready, and lots of customers had bought into a pre-order programme because we had only just rebranded at the beginning of the year.

“So when the pubs closed, we had lots of casks ready to go out, but they ended up sitting on the brewery floor.

“Thankfully, we managed to get some old whisky casks, which we’ve managed to decant the beer into and they will become our Christmas beers.”

Lockdown has, indeed given the company some time to think about how to do things differently.

Cheryl added: “We’ve had time to sit down and think what are we going to do now ... how do we bring ourselves out of this.”

The fundraiser is another such idea.

The Crowdfunder bid has a target of £75,000 and it still has two weeks to run, but fans of the brewery’s ales, such as Wee Jock and Hopo, have been quick to donate to the cause.

Local businesses have been helping out, too, with nearby Stobo Hotel recently pledging £1,000.

The total stands currently at £xx,xxx and every penny will be used to carry on making its beers.

There are several special donation levels available, from a £15 donation, which gives the donor 10% off its beers for 12 months (and £30 will get you a Save the Brewery t-shirt), to a £10,000 donation, where you can name the brewery’s Christmas beer, which will be on sale in pubs throughout the country.

Cheryl said there was light at the end of the tunnel.

She said “Pubs are now, thankfully beginning to open, but there is a lot of competition out there from the big breweries, who have lots of free cask offers.

“As a small independent brewery, there no way we can match that.

“But there are positives which have come out of lockdown.

“We have found that lots of people are more keen to shop local and it brings people back to us.”

And on Saturday, there was a first at the brewery, as it hosted its first wedding.

Cheryl said: “It was a secret ceremony, with just the happy couple, the best man and the bridesmaid coming.”

The company employs 12 people, most of whom are in the local area.

To donate, visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-the-brewery-broughton.