The Edinburgh-based microbrewery will initially supply its products to three deptos — Edinburgh, Reading and Wakefield—as a trial from January 2017.
Bidvest will then be able to deliver the beers to its 22 other depots across the country if the trial proves successful.
A ‘major industry player’
Bellfield brewer and head of business development Kieran Middleton said: “This is a huge coup for us, coming just seven months after we first launched our beers and is a great vote of confidence in the quality and appeal of our beers from a major industry player.”
He added: “The partnership has the potential to literally transform our business. We’re looking forward to many more consumers across the UK being able to enjoy great tasting gluten-free beer that’s brewed with great passion and dedication.”
Bidvest Foodservice Scotland’s business development manager Katie Sillars said: “Being able to offer our customers something that is aligned to our industry trends and customer demands is really important to us.
“At Bidvest Foodservice Scotland, we are working hard to grow our Scottish food and drink range and we’ve observed a huge growth within Scottish craft beer as well as the market for gluten-free products.
“We are delighted to be able to offer Bellfield’s gluten-free, locally produced ales not only as a regional listing, but as a national listing for 2017.”
A ‘real game-changer’
Bellfield microbrewery was the first microbrewery in the UK to experiment with a new kind of gluten-free barley.
The company used Kebari barley, a gluten-free grain grown in Australia, which contains 1,000 times less gluten than regular barley.
At the time, Middleton said: “The Kebari barley has the potential to become a game-changer, allowing us to brew darker beers with even grater flavour, without using enzymes or other additives.”