Radcliffe’s Brightside Brewing Company’s move to online retail and the opening of an on-site shop has helped to create new markets, business lines and jobs growth at this family run concern.
Brightside Brewing Company was established in 2011 by former bakers the Friedrich family with a simple mission to supply great quality artisan-brewed beer. Since launch, the business has built many strong relationships within the hospitality trade, with a good range of North West pubs, restaurants, hotels and event spaces offering Brightside beers in their establishments.
The COVID-19 crisis had a significant impact on alcohol sales as bars and eateries were forced to close during the national lockdown. While the hospitality sector is slowly recovering, the trade is still suffering from the huge ongoing impact of Coronavirus and resultant unpredictable market.
Unwilling to rest on their laurels the team at Brightside responded by creating a whole new side to their business, developing an online beer shop with home delivery service, and by providing over the counter sales from their Radcliffe base.
So far, the results have been very encouraging with rising counter and online sales and customers responding positively to the ability to buy cases of canned and bottled beers directly from the company.
Indeed, the success of the launch has helped to create jobs with the recent appointment of new staff to work in the shop and to help with deliveries.
As Brightside marketing director Carley Friedrich commented:
“Things were incredibly tough in March when we saw 95% of our trade customers close their doors overnight as a result of the nationwide lockdown to control the virus. We knew we had to do something quickly, so we opened a sales counter at the brewery for the public, set up our online shop and created a whole new side to the business. As a result we’ve taken on new staff, and have lots planned as we expand our operations!
“Client feedback has been very encouraging, and we can see the real benefits of offering our beers directly and developing a new kind of relationship with our customers
“These new innovations will definitely play a growing part in the Brightside story”
The Brightside range includes local favourite Odin Blonde Ale 3.8%, plus new craft styles West Coast IPA 6% and Wildside Mississippi Mud Pie Stout 4.8%, plus their specially developed low alcohol beer Nemo 0.5%. All beers are brewed onsite at their Dale Street Ind. Est. base, including a wide range which are also certified Gluten Free.
