The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Bread beer to make dough for Danny
Home-brew fan sets up microbrewery in heart of Dundee
Scientific researcher Dr Danny Cullen set up the Dundee-based Law Brewing Company last year.
Q Why did you start in business? A I was offered voluntary redundancy so the timing felt right to launch my own business in the craft-beer sector, of which I had a keen interest after a few years of home brewing. Due to the finances, I started with a small-scale brewing system using quality ingredients to produce beer which was vegan and vegetarian friendly. By using my science background and having a modernist perspective on the beer scene, I felt I could make Law Brewing Company a success.
Q How did you get where you are? A I had time to do extensive research on the industry and sought all the advice possible from brewers, publicans, shopkeepers, and various advisers. I also followed my instincts, and things seemed to fall in place. Working alongside local businesses, I’m developing a ‘liquid bread ale’ using surplus bread and rolls from Clark’s Bakery to reduce waste and promote recycling.
Q Who has helped you? A I’ve had tremendous advice and support from my adviser Michelle Shepherd at Business Gateway Dundee. Starting my own business was made less daunting as Michelle guided me through my business plan, search for premises, branding strategies, market research and a list of other topics. I’ve also had great advice from the E-Zone team at Dundee City Council and the innovation team at Scottish Enterprise.
Q Your biggest mistake? A I decided to go for separate front and rear beer labels, which of course takes double the time to manually apply to the bottles. Now I use the same labels but they fully wrap round.
Q Your greatest achievement? A Finally trading in December 2016, with a truly Scottish beer (Optimistic Sound Pale Ale) produced with my home-grown hops and Scottish barley. All the early proceeds went to Optimistic Sound Charity to bring the Big Noise Orchestra to Dundee.
Q What do you hope to achieve? A I would like to grow the business so I can make a decent living doing something I really enjoy. But the ultimate aim is to be regarded as producing some of the best and most innovative craft beers in the UK.
Q Do you want to recruit? A Definitely. The sooner the better, as it would help increase my output volumes and sales figures.
Q The hardest thing about running your own business? A I operate as a sole trader so I need to take on board other tasks as well as brewing. These include marketing, sales and deliveries, which take up a significant number of hours.