Green award shortlist spot for Arran Brewery
The Isle of Arran Brewery has been shortlisted for the highly prestigious Society of Independent Brewers’ award for green business.
SIBA is the UK’s foremost brewery trade body representing more than 600 independent craft breweries. Each year it gives an award in the green brewery category to the brewer with the most innovative green credentials or projects.
Arran has been shortlisted for the green business award as a direct result of its project in collaboration with the islands green recovery programme instigated by Zero Waste Scotland.
The project aims to reduce the use of packaging materials in two main areas:
A reduction in shrink wrap and cardboard, usually only used once before being discarded, by investing in a large fleet of bottle crates, which will be used for on island deliveries to distributors
A reduction in glass usage by the introduction of a growler filler station offering up to six beers to go into growlers (larger, resealable, reusable beer containers) which will be made available to either buy or rent to both island residents and tourists.
The team at Arran Brewery has always been proactive in trying to make the business of brewing as green as possible; from recycling company waste products to composting spent hops to providing spent grain to local farmers as feed for livestock.
This year the final three breweries happen to represent the three UK nations: Well Drawn Brewing being based in Wales; Hobson’s Brewery based in England; and Arran Brewery. Arran therefore finds itself representing Scotland in a very tough and competitive green award.
Head Brewer Craig Laurie said: ‘I have always looked for ways to improve our green credentials, from increasing ingredient utilisation – getting more great quality beer for the same input of raw materials, to reducing waste in bottling, bringing it down from over five per cent to around 0.5 per cent, and I am proud that our hard work has been recognised by our peers in the brewing industry.’
Chris Bowen, quality manager and co-owner Veronica Michaluk were behind this particular initiative and they are working hard to ensure a much greener Arran.
Veronica said: ‘I am very pleased by the way the new team has embraced the need to go that step further in improving our green credentials, which were already well established.’
Chris added: ‘Our company slogan, which can be found on most of our labels, reads Quality is in our nature. My aim is to ensure both quality and nature are continually cared for and improved at the brewery and I am very happy to see our work recognised by our trade body.’
The Isle of Arran Brewery said it was grateful for the support of the islands green recovery programme, Zero Waste Scotland and the Scottish government which had made the initiative possible.
‘I am proud that our hard work has been recognised by our peers in the brewing industry’