Thornbridge sales up 18% in Q1 2024
The Derbyshire-based firm, which was founded by Simon Webster and Jim Harrison in 2005, reported an 18% uplift in sales across its three pubs in York, Birmingham and Leeds during the first quarter of this year.
In addition, Thornbridge, known for award-winning beers such as Jaipur, finished 2023 16% up year-on-year.
Thornbridge director Jamie Hawksworth said the results were “phenomenal” and “reflected the hard work” of the operations team and brewery.
Wonderful staff
He continued: “These numbers are incredible when compared against the industry norm.
“We have a fantastic offer in the pubs and wonderful staff carrying it out to the highest standard.”
Thornbridge director Simon Webster added the business was also looking to expand following the results.
He said: “We have secured a new site in the heart of Sheffield city centre and are expecting to commence legals on a high-profile location in the North this summer and are in final stages of negotiations for a site in London.”
Evolution
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Thornbridge had teamed with Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) to establish a Burton Union System at its Bakewell site using Union sets from CMBC after they were retired.
In addition, at the beginning of this year, Webster told the Morning Advertiser innovation and evolution were key to see growth in the cask category, attributing the firm’s success in part to having adapted as consumers moved on from more traditional styles.
He said: “[Evolution] is something cask brewers have had to look at, we've got to move with the consumer, why shouldn't cask be just as exciting as keg beers?”
This comes as data from the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) revealed beer production volumes across independent breweries had risen by 14% compared with last year, with cask volumes up 10% year-on-year.