Beer
Batemans invests in free-trade sales team
Following the investment, which saw its sales staff grow from five to nine, the Lincolnshire-based brewer will be able to cover free-trade accounts across Lincolnshire, south Yorkshire, east Midlands, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.
Batemans' free-trade product portfolio has also been increased to include more craft beers and premium soft drinks.
Free-trade accounts
Managing director Stuart Bateman said: "Developing our free-trade accounts is a key part of our 2016 strategy and the growth of the sales team will be essential to achieving this.
"Our sales team has now increased by almost 100%, which will ensure each member is able to concentrate on providing exceptional service to our free-trade pubs and utilising our expert knowledge to support them and their businesses."
The brewer launched its seasonal beer list last month, which includes 12 beers brewed using English and American hops.
Beers such as Summer Swallow, Dark Lord and Hooker all form part of the new range, which can be seen in full at the end of this story.
Batemans invests
In 2014, the brewer and pub operator revealed it had developed a management-tenancy hybrid agreement for the future of its pub acquisitions, which is dubbed a 'manchise' agreement.
At the time, Bateman said: "It will be based on us paying a tenant a percentage of turnover with them paying their wages out of it and we will be paying the majority of the expenses. There will also be a bonus scheme for the tenant, based on the achievement of certain profit figures."
In the same year, Batemans also announced it had a seven-figure sum available for acquisitions in the years to 2017.
12-strong seasonal beer launch
Dark Lord – 4.4% ABV. Dark ruby, with a rich, nutty flavour and spicy, bitter/sweet finish. Brewed with chocolate, barley and wheat malts and blended with Styrian Golding hops.
- Hooker: 4.5% ABV. Golden beer, with a citrus and spicy character from the Jester and Chinook hops. Infused with pale ale malt from Yorkshire to give it a fresh crispness.
- East Coast Screamer: 4.0% ABV. A copper coloured beer which is powerfully hopped with American Chinook before extended barrel ageing.
- Silver Hare: 3.8% ABV. English style, silky, amber beer, well balanced by English pale and crystal malts combined with English Challenger and Golding hops.
- Pilgrim Fathers IPA: 4.4% ABV. Lincolnshire pale malt blended with American Pilgrim hops, producing a light and fresh, American pale ale, which has been slowly aged.
- Valiant: 4.2% ABV. Pale, refreshing beer brewed with a combination of lager and crystal malts and steeped in Styrian Goldings, giving a light fruity flavour, laced with citrus.
- Summer Swallow: 3.9% ABV. Light, golden beer, brewed with lager malts and 'late hopped' with Chinook and Galaxy, giving hints of orange and vanilla.
- QED: 4% ABV. Amber, triple malt beer, brewed with pale, crystal and chocolate malts, combined with Golding, Challenger and Bramling Cross hops soaked into the mash extract, giving an exquisite hop/malt balance.
- Texan Triple Hop: 4.2% ABV. Triple hop, triple fermented! Amber beer banged full of three classic hops: Cascade, Golding and Challenger. If you like hops you’ll love Triple Hop!
- Lincoln Red: 5% ABV. Polished, red beer stacked full of four different malts; pale, wheat, crystal and chocolate malts and given a hint of fruitiness by the English Bramling Cross hops.
- Colonel's Whiskers: 4.3% ABV. Barrel aged and brimming with roasted malt and fruity, nutty flavours from the charred black Yorkshire malt.
- Rosey Nosey: 4.9% ABV. 'The old favourite' – dark amber and full of rich, fruity, sultana raisin flavours from the Golding and Challenger hops blended with crystal and chocolate, Norfolk malts.
