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INDUSTRY PARTNER: Belhaven

INDUSTRY PARTNER: Belhaven

Don’t be fooled by the idyllic location of Belhaven, Scotland’s oldest working brewery – there’s a great deal of innovation going on as Karen Peattie discovered when she visited East Lothian to meet one of the SLTA’s key industry partners

DUNBAR may be famous as the birthplace of renowned explorer, naturalist and conservationist John Muir but it’s arguably just as famous as the home of Belhaven, Scotland’s oldest working brewery.

Located on the North Sea coast of beautiful East Lothian, the small town is a pleasant place to visit and for Belhaven’s marketing manager Gordon Muir it’s also a pretty special place to work. Clearly passionate about his job and proud to show off the brewery to visitors, he rattles off the rich – and eventful – history of Belhaven which will celebrate its 300th anniversary in 2019.

Indeed, Belhaven’s brewing history dates back to the 12th century AD and with consumers increasingly looking for an interesting back story to their food and drink and seeking provenance, they’ll find both in spades here. It’s also sure to be a hit in New York on April 8 when Belhaven is the official beer of the annual Tartan Week Parade up Sixth Avenue from 44th Street to 55th Street.

Belhaven – which means “beautiful harbour” – uses local barley and water from its own well. Its iconic maltings chimneys are a prominent local landmark and feature on much of its packaging and marketing materials. “We have a great story to tell,” says Muir. “When you have a history and heritage like ours we’d be crazy not to.”

Today, the Belhaven brand has a contemporary feel that taps into its history and heritage without venturing into “shortbread tin” territory. All the same, there’s still a touch of romance surrounding Belhaven and visitors can book a tour to get the full story and see how the beer is made – it’s a VisitScotland 3-star visitor attraction.

“Some of our buildings date back to the 18th century and we’ve had two fires – in 1814 and 1887 – but still survived,” says Muir. “HRH The Princess Royal opened the new brewhouse in January 2013.”

The brewhouse, a £1 million investment by parent company Greene King, raised capacity and enhanced efficiency of the site and set the scene for significant growth and new product development (NPD). Familiar and long-established brands including Belhaven Best – Scotland’s best-selling ale – and Belhaven Black Stout, along with cask ales such as 80 Shilling, St Andrews Ale and IPA continue to keep the firm at the forefront of the licensed trade north of the Border.

However, the company is committed to adding value and interest to its portfolio. “We have to react to market and consumer demand for new and interesting beers, and also reach out to new, younger drinkers,” Muir points out, alluding to recent launches such as Bridge to Nowhere Pale Ale and Old Gold Whisky Aged Ale. Speciality craft beers including Twisted Thistle also form a key part of the Belhaven portfolio.

“There’s been such a surge of interest in the craft beer category so we need to ensure we’re part of it and can offer interesting beers such as imperial stouts, porters and oak-aged beers,” says Muir. “We’re also doing a lot of work in the area of food and beer pairing which we’re getting an excellent response to plus encouraging outlets to stock guest beers and seasonal beers to give them a point of difference and a competitive edge.”

Belhaven, meanwhile, is proud to partner with the SLTA and work with licensees to help them offer the right range for their customers. “It’s a very fast-moving industry so we need to be close to our customers and understand them,” Muir continues. “Supporting the SLTA is another way of supporting them – it’s the voice of the pub trade in Scotland and a very high-profile one, too – so it makes perfect sense for us to work closely with the industry’s trade association.”

Find out more about Belhaven and its beers at www.belhaven.co.uk

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