High Street breakthrough for SIBA brewers

March 2, 2007: The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has announced strong trading results for its Direct Delivery Scheme (DDS) and details of a major new distribution agreement.

Speaking at the organisation's annual general meeting in Leeds, Nick Stafford, DDS managing director, outlined arrangements for Threshers to begin trading with the UK’s hundreds of local brewers through DDS.

From April 18 the store will be offering local beers from among DDS’s 260 brewers in up to 2,000 outlets. In a strong underlining of Thresher’s support for local sourcing, up to four lines per store — including at least one bottle-conditioned beer where possible — will be offered from breweries within 30 to 40 miles of each outlet. More details will be made available in early April.

The deal represents another breakthrough for the fast growing DDS, which saw sales last year multiply several fold to in excess of £4.5 million, and builds on existing off-trade arrangements with Asda, among others.

Mr Stafford said: "We are delighted to announce this arrangement with Threshers, and it’s a fantastic commitment by them to not only local sourcing but also bottled-conditioned beers.

"We know how popular DDS is among on-trade licensees where the majority of pubs see a local beer on the bar growing not only beer sales but total pub business.

"We are totally confident that this major breakthrough for the availability local beer on the high street will prove equally popular among shop managers and the drinking public alike."