Big Drop Founder Rob Fink said the decision was driven by the firm’s need to “scale rapidly” without building a brewery as the contract brewing model has become “less sustainable”.
Fink added: “We have brewed Big Drop beer at the Fourpure brewery for many years now and with the business recently being acquired by In Good Company, an opportunity arose to move to that closer relationship.
Working together
“The relationship is beneficial for both parties; Big Drop gets the ability to scale without the need for significant capex and Fourpure gets incremental and complementary volume.
“By working together on our sales and marketing strategy we will also be able to drive brand awareness even harder.
“We’re delighted that we are on this journey with In Good Company, who have the perfect production facility in Bermondsey, nailed our brew-to-strength techniques and have an extremely capable team behind them.”
According to Big Drop, which launched in 2016 and is distributed in a number of UK pub chains including Greene King, the opportunity will allow the brewery to “swiftly increase revenues” to in excess of £5m per year, thanks to In Good Company’s brewing capacity, direct draught accounts and well-established sales and marketing functions.
Greater efficiencies
The partnership also puts In Good Company in a “strong position” to meet the changing demands of craft beer consumers, with data from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis having recently estimated the annual growth rate for the alcohol-free beer market in the UK will rise 12% until 2026.
Earlier this month the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) reinstated Fourpure and Magic Rock, which are both owned by In Good Company, as members – the first time any brewery has been given back its membership by the group.
In Good Company CEO Steve Cox said: “Big Drop has become an iconic alcohol-free brand and we’re excited about working more closely with them to provide greater efficiencies without compromising any of their values.
“This partnership means we can grow together under one roof with all brands in the portfolio enjoying the combined synergies they bring.”
