New beers and brand refresh as business aims for growth
HARVIESTOUN, the Alva craft brewer, has rebranded and relaunched its range of beers following the appointment of a new executive team.
The new management team, headed by chief executive Peter Sandstrom, formerly of Edrington-Beam Suntory, with commercial director Stuart Cook, finance director Kevin Giudici and long-time Harviestoun head brewer Stuart Crail, will look to grow the business across the UK and overseas with support from brewery owners Sandy Orr and Donald MacDonald.
The first step in the team’s plan has been to rebrand the Harviestoun range with new packaging that is currently being rolled out across the country.
The branding, said Sandstrom, has introduced a more consistent look across the range as well as including tasting notes to explain the distinct flavour profile of each product.
“A lot of the time with craft beer brands it’s quite difficult to understand what you’re actually buying,” said Sandstrom.
“In quite a cluttered market it’s important to make the shopping experience easier for consumers to understand what they’re buying.”
In addition to the rebrand, the brewery has introduced several new products to its permanent range, including the Forth and Sorachi lagers, and a low-ABV pale ale called Whippet.
A 0% ABV dark ale, called Wheesht, will be introduced in the coming months.
Sandstrom said the team’s main goal “is to build Harviestoun into a premium craft organisation”.
“And over the next four to five years we have a business plan that will see the business quadruple,” he said.
“We have the support of Clydesdale Bank and of our investors to invest in our brewery facilities to ensure we have the capacity to do that.”
Meanwhile the brewery team has raised more than £2000 in support of disability charity Euan’s Guide.
The organisation provides information on the standard of disabled access at venues across the UK.
Harviestoun will be supporting the charity on an ongoing basis.
