The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Firm toasting its first export deal to Europe
Perthshire firm Wasted Degrees Brewing is stepping into the international market for the first time after securing a deal with a European ecommerce beer firm.
The brewery’s first export deal with Beerwulf will see it be sold in the Netherlands, France, Italy and Germany.
A total of 12,500 cans of its 5% ABV raspberry stout beer will make its way to the Netherlands, where Beerwulf is based. The deal is the firm’s largest single order in six years and is valued at £15,000.
Founded in 2016, by brothers Conall and Jack Low, Wasted Degrees crafts limited edition beers in its 100% renewables-powered brewhouse in Blair Atholl. In the first nine months of the year the team welcomed more than 5,000 visitors to their brewery and taproom.
The expansion into another market further leverages the brewery’s recent investment in its UK designed and manufactured canning line, which cost £50,000. The canning line now allows the team to package as much beer in two hours, as they used to do in four hours by hand.
A further £30,000 was spent this year to purchase additional tanks and peripherals for the brewery.
This has seen it double production capacity with the team “just managing to keep up with demand”.
Supplying keg, canned and cask beer across the UK and now Europe, the brewery is known for its diverse and ever-changing range of high-quality beers and a responsible growth ethic.
The firm is also in talks about separate deals in Hong Kong and France.
“The acquisition of our new canning line earlier this year marked another step up in responsible growth for us,” said Jack.
“We’ve now completed our transition away from glass bottles, something that could enable us to save around 61 tonnes annually of CO2 equivalents from being emitted, across our supply chain, by 2026.
“The investment was the gateway to confidently and economically chasing larger-scale wholesale deals and it’s great to have proven to ourselves, and the market, that we can deliver. It’s been a total game-changer.”
The brothers are both driven by the impact they can have on their home region, doing what they can for the local community.
And as a result of their success, they are now planning on building a new facility to house their beer operation due to continued growth.
Conall added: “We really do care, not just about great beer, but people see how community and environment are fundamental to how we grow the business.
“We want to set a strong example of business as a force for good.
“From the nine tonnes of fresh but surplus Perthshire-grown produce we’ve saved and brewed with in the last couple of years, to the energy recovery technology in our renewables-powered brewhouse, we’re always looking to do more.”