Moorhouse’s Brewery back in profit after seven years

04-Dec-2019 - Last updated on 04-Dec-2019 at 13:56 GMT

Making moves: Lee Williams has taken action to put Mororhouse’s back into profit

Moorhouse’s Brewery has hit top form once again after its turnaround plans resulted in a £37,000 pre-tax profit.

The business was making losses for the seven years up until the end of its latest financial year but managing director Lee Williams implemented a new programme when he was appointed in 2017.

Despite the company reporting a £275,000 pre-tax loss in 2018, a quick U-turn ensued as it entered its second year of the plans.

Making changes

The brewery saw a full rebrand of the business as well as a cost-saving programme of initiatives.

This included working more closely with key stakeholders in its supply chain, implementing new and more efficient ways of working, and investing in new product development as well as core equipment and infrastructure.

The company has now reported a pre-tax profit of £37,000 with turnover remaining constant at about £4.5m.

The fortunes of business

Williams said: “The turnaround programme, which started back in the summer 2017, is starting to pay real dividends and much of its success is down to the efforts and dedication of the entire team.

“Along with all of the logistical and cost-saving initiatives that have been brought in, we have also created an environment where the team can now play an active role in assuming responsibility for making the changes that were needed to turn the fortunes of the business around.”

Williams has also overseen major changes to the sales mix and improvements to customer service – most notably revamping the delivery function and opening up new distribution channels, which has seen the brewery securing its first export order since 2016.

Solid foundations

He added: “We are delighted the business is now back in profit, this has been a real team effort, but this is just the start.

“Our focus is on building on these solid foundations to make Moorhouse’s as strong as possible.

“We have to continue this momentum and new product development alongside some new retail bars will be at the heart of how we create a sustainable future for the brand.

“The cask beer sector is incredibly challenging with the highest number of breweries on record chasing a market that is in decline, so central to our strategy has been maintaining Moorhouse’s long-standing reputation of brewing quality beer.”