Nick Helliwell, Sales and Marketing Director at Saltaire Brewery, shares his export journey.
Saltaire Brewery is based on the outskirts of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Saltaire in West Yorkshire.
Its range of products include Blonde, their flagship beer, Triple Choc, a multi-award-winning speciality stout and Velocity, a citrusy session IPA. The brewery began in 2006 and now has over 50 employees.
Saltaire Brewery has been exporting for almost 10 years and although overseas sales currently represent a relatively small proportion of turnover, this is growing rapidly. Scandinavia, Eastern and Southern Europe and the Far East are core export markets, which continue to grow.
Their expertise lies in being an SME that has actively and purposefully grown their exporting from little more than a few small, reactive sales per year, to strong, fruitful relationships with partners in multiple markets. This journey was taken both with the support of the DBT and by gaining independent experience and advice along the way.
Having themselves benefited from the support of those around them, Saltaire Brewery are always happy to share their story with anyone new to exporting.
Nick Helliwell says “Never underestimate the importance of relationship, capability and scale, they’re just as important as product and branding. Understanding the commercial model is key too, ensuring everyone in the chain makes a margin, while getting the product on the shelf at a sensible price, and not just gathering dust!”
Business supported & Case study obtained through the Department for Business and Trade.
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