Hiver launches crowdfunding campaign
The brewer is looking to raise £350,000 on Crowdcube and is offering 8% equity to accelerate the growth of the business through investment in a new annual marketing campaign to support on-trade customers and drive sales.
This includes funding new community-based beehives and planting days, a second retail site and its sales and marketing team.
Hiver founder Hannah Rhodes and her team have built the business since its 2013 launch with turnover heading towards £500,000, growing almost 100% in the past year, with the brand now stocked in more than 1,000 outlets nationwide.
The beers use honey in the fermentation process, rather than as a sweetener at the end and the range comprises of:
- Hiver The Honey Beer, 4.5% ABV Blonde
- Hiver The Honey Ale, 4.5% ABV Brown
- Hiver The Honey IPA, 4.9% ABV IPA
Last year, Hiver launched The Experience – a two-hour, hands-on beekeeping and beer tasting session, currently hosted in London.
Pub stockists
This year, the company has already taken 2,500 bookings for The Experience and is nearing capacity. The funds raised from the campaign will partly contribute towards securing a flagship retail and experience site to meet growing demand.
Hiver is currently stocked in almost 500 Mitchells & Butlers sites nationwide, 15 Young’s pubs across London and a number of independent operators.
Rhodes outlined how much the company has grown in the past four years and how investing back into the business will help its growth.
She told The Morning Advertiser: “Four years ago, my sister and I were delivering to our first 10 customers.
“Now if the campaign is successful, we will be looking to recruit team members, ensuring we have a voice through a marketing campaign and making sure customers understand what we are about.”
She also highlighted how not limiting the beers to ‘local’ means the products can reach pubs up and down the country.
Demonstrating success
She said: “We’ve accomplished so much in such a short time. If you had asked me four years ago, I would never have imagined we would be stocked in more than 1,000 sites across the UK, exporting to international buyers and now looking to open a new retail site to meet the insatiable appetite from consumers for the beer and experience.
“Since our launch, we have demonstrated the success and potential of both the Hiver brand and our unique experience.
“Investing in the company now will give us the resources to maximise current sales opportunities. This will extend our reach and brand awareness, to make the most of growing distribution and really take Hiver to the next level.
“Crucially, as we grow the business in building a truly authentic premium honey beer brand, we are committed to supporting the British beekeeping community, including funding planting days to support the 100 community-based hives planned for Hiver stockists.
“Hiver is not limited by being a ‘local’ craft beer, we have demonstrated its appeal nationally, through our wide market reach.
“With additional resources we will develop new listings across the UK as well as increasing rate of sale in current stockists, strengthening our on-trade partnerships and building honey beer as a distinct category on the bar.”
