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Interview: Honest Brew founder toasts crowdfunding campaign after smashing £300k target

There is a subscription service for everything these days… from flowers, shaving gear and now, beer. Andrew Reeve started Honest Brew from his cramped London apartment, and now ships a growing assortment of beers all over the country. The startup works with independent brewers to distribute a bespoke range of craft beers to customers nationwide.

The New Zealander moved to the UK four years ago after gaining significant experience in the tech and engineering sector. As a keen home brewer, Andrew witnessed the industry’s surge in popularity firsthand. He told me: “When I first arrived in the UK, I discovered a growing craft beer industry, with a wide range of fantastic products.

“However, availability was still an issue. If someone found a beer they really liked when out and about, they would find it difficult to locate providers who would ship nationally, as many were still selling on a local basis.

“As well as accessibility, people were choosing their beer based on brand and price, rather than taste. If you were to visit a specialist bottle shop, you could get several recommendations - but not everyone has this kind of service accessible to them locally.

“We decided to solve this issue by creating a personalised, online experience for customers who can discover beers that taste like their favourites, and hopefully, discover new favourites as a result.”

The UK’s beer industry generates over £18bn for the economy each year. According to The Beer Academy, over 700,000 jobs are supported by production, selling and exporting of beer, while the British Beer and Pub Association found there are now more than 1,400 breweries in Britain.

Andrew commented: “We have witnessed three key trends in the craft beer industry over the last couple of years. The first point is that the way in which people consume craft beer is changing, people are choosing quality over quantity. There has been a shift away from mass-produced lagers, in favour of carefully-produced, quality craft beer.

“The second trend is that of people’s drinking habits. Last year was the first time in the industry’s history that there was more beer sold to the off-trade than the on-trade. People are picking to drink more beer at home, have a nice beer with dinner, for example.

“The final trend is the growth of online shopping. The convenience of having a box of choice beers delivered straight to your door is hugely appealing to a new generation of consumers.”

Launched in 2014 with just seven breweries on its card, Honest Brew now works with over 50 providers from the UK, Europe, US and Australasia for its customisable “Honesty Boxes”. The startup stocks several industry favourites including Camden Town, Wild Beer Co., Anchor and Brooklyn, as well as a number of lesser-known local brands.

“There are beer clubs existing in the online space, sending customers the same box of beers each month. At Honest Brew, we have created a bespoke service, meaning each customer can influence their Honesty Box, and will therefore discover new products based on their preference.

“The frequency of deliveries is also customisable,” Andrew added. “If you only want one box every two months, then that’s fine. If you want more because you’re having a barbeque or a party, then we can sort that too. We are always putting our customers needs first, while moving the subscription service away from its traditional rigid model towards something a lot more flexible and preferable for the customer.”

Honest Brew has already smashed its target of £300k on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. Currently over-funding to the tune of £377k (growing as I write this), the startup has received backing from over 300 investors. Andrew said the passion of those who enjoy Honest Brew’s subscription service has driven the surge in investment, he said: “We carried out a private funding round last year, welcoming on board some experienced angel investors.

“This time, we looked to our customer base for support. We are fortunate in the sense that our regular customers are not only interested in the products we sell, but also the business side of things.

“We raised around £20,000 from our existing customer base in just eight hours. Investors will receive several bonuses including a subscription to the Honesty Box, the chance to design a beer label and various other unique experiences.”

Looking forward, Andrew is keen to increase Honest Brew’s presence in the UK market. “We are working with breweries all over the world to bring their products to the customers in the UK, and increasing the variation of craft beer on the market.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .