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Project part-financed by the European Union
Daleside is a multi-award winning brewery based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. It started life in the early 90s and has expanded both the variety and quantity of quality beers it produces ever since.
The company currently employs nine staff, has an annual turnover of around £1 million and produces around 57,000 pints a week. With regular advice and guidance over the years from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), overseas business is nothing new to this flourishing regional brewery.
The awards, certificates and trophies from national bodies such as CAMRA and Wine and Spirit International that line the walls of the company’s boardroom are proof enough that Daleside’s brewers have a nose for a successful recipe when it comes to beer.
Eric Lucas, managing director said: “Our values here are straightforward – variety, quality and choice. We’ll often use a traditional recipe as the basis for our beers – one of them dates back to Tudor times – and others are brewed with a specific market in mind.
“Our most recent success – a Chocolate Ale – was devised with the Christmas market in mind, and to appeal to the Scandinavian palate where drinkers tend to prefer sweeter, darker beers.”
The experiment was a runaway best seller – 10,000 bottles of dark ale with added Belgian chocolate sold in just under five weeks in the run up to Christmas 2006.
Eric added: “When we first started to export, we sought advice and help from UKTI, based at the York and North Yorkshire Business Link. In my opinion the team there are a huge asset to any business thinking about exporting. I don’t think any company, whatever market they’re in, could achieve the sort of export success we have achieved, without their help. We’re so grateful to the whole team over there for the help and guidance we’ve received over the years.”
Peter Tweddle, UKTI’s international trade advisor said: “We’ve been working with Eric and his team regularly over the years and have been able to point them in the right direction – from attending the Passport to Export course for businesses new to the export market, to obtaining support under the Yorkshire Forward funded Targeted Export Support Scheme to launch new products overseas. We’ve also been able to put them in touch with key personnel at our Embassies – who are able to provide up to the minute information on market conditions in their country.
“It’s great to watch a business like this, which started on a very small scale and is now going from strength to strength. We wish Daleside every success in the future.”
And if chocolate beer isn’t quite your cup of tea, there’s plenty left in the Daleside range to chose from – whether it’s one of the core beers such as Daleside Bitter and Daleside Blonde, or others rejoicing in the names of Old Lubrication, Monkey Wrench, Morocco Ale, Crack Shot (a genuine 17th century classic ale), Old Legover, or Ripon Jewel, there’s sure to be something to satisfy every palate.
Website: www.dalesidebrewery.co.uk
