Member Article

Profits pouring in at Burnley’s Moorhouse Brewery

Moorhouse’s Brewery is raising a glass after a sales surge of 8% for its September and October trading with turnover reaching almost £1 million.

Throughout the two months - which includes the peak Halloween season - sales hit 1 million pints (some 3,472 barrels) and a turnover of £930k.

Its ‘Pendle Witches’ cask ales have cast a spell over pubs nationwide and the bottled business grew with leading supermarket chains.

The business was boosted by the inaugural roll out of Black Cat Reserve special which went on sale across the Wetherspoons chain in October.

Best selling beer was Blond Witch while the seasonal White Witch was the fastest growing brand.

The figures mark another significant milestone for the former ‘backstreet micro’, which has seen year-on-year growth since it took the bold step to buck the prevailing economic conditions with the launch a new £4.2 million complex in 2011.

In the last reported financial year turnover topped £5 million as the beers reached new outlets across the UK.

Last December some 500,000 festive pints were sold in an uplift of 8% on sales for 2012, with outstanding growth of 55% for seasonal cask specials and 35% for its bottle range.

MD David Grant said: “Our consistent growth is a welcome reward for our investment in the future of cask ale.

“Nevertheless, trading is still very tough as we face up to the much troubled economic climate, many pubs closing each week and the relentlessly growing army of micro-brewers all clawing for room on fewer bars.”

“However we remain optimistic.

“September showed excellent trading, enhanced by the late summer weather.

“And, as publicans increasingly see us as the brewer of choice for the witching season, we were really delighted with our Halloween results.

“As our award winning beers increasingly beguile cask fans across the South East, we were rewarded with exposure in premier London pubs, such as the Porterhouse in Covent Garden. “For November –always a tricky trading month for pubs - our sales also held up extremely well.

“It is too early to say how Christmas will go, but we expect our new national business to pay dividends.

“Meanwhile, we will continue to nurture the free trade business with excellent service in our northern heartland - we have five festive beers on offer.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sophia Taha .