Beer-loving Sheffield businessman hits crowdfunding success for new beer-tasting app

Sheffield-based entrepreneur and beer lover Alex Barlow is celebrating after his crowdfunding campaign to launch a new beer-tasting app hit its cash target.

This week, Alex secured the £12k he needed to create the ALL BEER Finder App, which aims to allow its users to discover the perfect beer for the occasion.

Support for the app came from beer drinkers in Sheffield and around the world, Alex said, with a number of local, national and international brewers also backing the project.

Discussing the campaign result, Alex said he is “delighted that beer lovers and foodies will have the opportunity to discover new beers, and brewers have the chance to showcase their beers to an interested audience.”

With the funding in place, Alex will now be able to re-develop his existing website into app form. While his current beer flavour database will be used to provide results for users, master sommeliers will help Alex bring new flavour evaluations to the database.

Alex continued: “The new site and app will launch with many more beers, both old and new, and with really insightful ways to find them, it’s great to finally get started on the development.”

Brewers that backed the crowdfunding campaign include: Charles Wells, Molson-Coors & Sharp’s, Acorn, Abbeydale, Sentinel, Williams Bros, Duvel Moortgat, Purity, T&R Theakston, Budweiser Budvar, Camerons, Greene King, Robinson’s, Hawkshead, Hobsons, Wold Top, Raw, Two Roses and Castle Rock.

Further, importers and distributors James Clay and Austins also backed the campaign.

The new ALL BEER Finder App will be made available to backers in February 2016, with a general public release a month later.

The retail and hospitality manager of Sharp’s Brewery, Ed Hughes, commented:“As a beer sommelier, enthusiast, and professional in the brewing industry I feel that we are very lucky, as beer drinkers, to have so many beers we can try.

“But what’s sometimes been missing in the industry is education. So Sharps are delighted to support the All Beer Finder App as it helps people discover new ales they will enjoy.”

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