Two of Shropshire's independent brewery bosses, Edward Wood and Norman Pearce.

Shropshire breweries are part of a beer ‘renaissance’, at a time when overall beer sales in the UK are in decline.

The publication of the annual Local Brewing Industry Report shows sales volumes from local brewers grew by 10 per cent last year, in marked contrast to the five per cent decrease in the total beer market.

The report, published by the Society of Independent Brewers, paints a picture of a local brewing industry that is thriving despite adverse conditions, including a 17.8 per cent hike in beer taxation over the past year, and the increased cost of ingredients, fuel and utilities.

Local brewers such as the Corvedale Brewery at Corfton near Craven Arms, are, on the whole, confident and investing for further expansion. And they are ideally placed to benefit from consumers’ increasing interest in ‘localism’.

Norman Pearce, head brewer, says: “Customers’ desire to shop ethically, and their willingness to pay a premium to do so, are holding firm through the recession.

“Local beers tick all the boxes for the ethical consumer: genuine provenance, low food miles, sustainable production and contribution to the local economy. If there was ever a right time to be a local brewer, it is surely now.”

The growth of the local brewery industry has been achieved through both increased distribution – the average number of pubs each brewer supplies grew from 79 to 94 last year – and increased rate of sale – throughput of local beers grew by an average of nine per cent over the last two years.

While draught ale, through the pub, is the mainstay of the local brewer, accounting for 86 per cent of volumes, bottled beer is growing fast. Last year, bottled beer volumes increased by more than 50 per cent, which helped to grow total sales turnover by an average of 20 per cent.

The British Beer & Pub Association’s ‘Beer Barometer’ shows total sales of beer among its members in 2008 were down by 5.5 per cent on the previous year. In the last quarter, total sales were down by 8.3 per cent, and on-trade sales by 9.3 per cent. For details visit www.beerandpub.com

The number of smaller brewers in the UK has mushroomed over recent years. Today, there are about 700 brewing companies, compared to around 70 in 1980, when SIBA was formed.

Shropshire has been at the forefront of the growth, which has been encouraged by the introduction seven years ago of Progressive Beer Duty, designed to help smaller brewers to compete with their larger counterparts.

Mr Pearce says: “In the 10 years since establishing the Corvedale Brewery, we’ve seen growing interest in the sales of our beers and, although the coming year looks challenging for everyone in the drinks industry, we are cautiously optimistic that our quality, locally produced beers, will continue to attract discerning customers.”

By Sharon Walters