PALS BREW UP BEER SUCCESS
T WO friends who ditched the corporate rat race to open their own brewery have made their 200th batch of beer. In May 2014, after a few pints in the pub, James Beavan, 31, and Robert Faulkner, 35, decided it would be a good idea to start their own brewery.
While many aspiring entrepreneurs decide against such schemes when they sober up, the two friends instead formed Tenby Brewing Co – and since then it has gone from strength to strength.
Last summer they decided to open a barrestaurant in the popular tourist town and opened the SandBar. It now has 150 reviews on Facebook – all of which are five stars.
“It has been hard work but it’s been a good year and has proved that it works,” said coowner James.
“It was a bit of a risk because we don’t carry any brands or international products – it is all local.
“We were worried that wouldn’t have a broad enough appeal but people seem to love it.
“We have lots of craft beers, including our own and breweries like Tiny Rebel, Crafty Devil and Heavy Industries.
“All of our meat comes from Andrew Rees, who is an award-winning Pembrokeshire butcher.
“We don’t stock anything owned by an international brand so no Gordon’s Gin – we use an Aberystwyth ginnery that has a really nice seaweed gin.
“The thing that has worked is that over the winter we started getting more local faces going in there regularly. Without that local support it is very hard to make Tenby work.
“So it’s great that people are coming in on recommendations from locals.”
Looking back on the days working as a restaurant manager at brewing giant Brains, James credited the flexibility of being your own boss as leading to a happier working and home life.
It has enabled the pair to make decisions like paying all their staff the living wage.
“We pay living wage to all our staff, including our 16-year-old pot wash,” James said.
“With the SandBar it is different from when we ran chain restaurants because it is our own.
“It it is nice to do things like spend a bit more on payroll because we want the best staff – hopefully people like that.
“We pride ourselves on the food, service and the beer, which means we have to spend more than a big chain and have tighter margins.
“There is no comparison, because you have the time to prioritise what you think should be prioritised.
“I may actually work fewer hours now but every hour you are at work is more productive.
“In a big company you notice nothing ever happens on a Friday, but it is different when it is your business. “I can go to events like friends’ weddings. “I hadn’t been able to go to friends’ wedding for years as I always worked weekends.”
Many people daydream about starting their own business and often talk with their friends about starting one together. According to the pair, this relationship is key.
“It is the biggest thing people said when starting was that partnerships can be really hard work – you hear horror stories of when they go wrong,” said James.
“Rob and I wouldn’t have gone into partnership with many other people. We both have different strengths and we just let the other get on with their strengths.
“I don’t think it works if you do everything equally. You have to let them get on with it.
“Rob does a great job on the branding and Photoshop and I let him crack on with it. I look after the beer recipes and he lets me get on with that.
“It isn’t just about trusting each other – it is respect for the other person’s abilities.”
They have come a long way from a drunken night out in Tenby just under three years ago. They have just made their 200th brew and have produced 14 different beers.
Next they are facing the risky proposition any fledgling business can come up against – expansion.
To do this they have bought the original kit from award-winning Newport-based brewer Tiny Rebel.
Mr Beavan said: “Last summer we hit our brewing capacity quite quickly. When we started we were naive to how quickly we would grow.
“We didn’t quite expect it and suddenly we were turning down orders and were letting people down because we didn’t have beer in stock.
“We had a good a relationship with Tiny Rebel as we had done a collaboration beer with them. I phoned them up and it turned out they were moving in February last year. For us we couldn’t afford a brand-new brew kit and getting it second-hand was the only viable option.
“Having someone on the doorstep who has the right kit at the right time – it was something we just didn’t think we could turn down.
“With SandBar it wasn’t quite the right time but we had to take the opportunity. It was from a brewery we have a lot of respect for.
“The whole process is more complex than we ever imagined. Expansion is a different ball game and challenge.”