Aldi to boost Scots brewers with beer festival

SCOTLAND’S burgeoning micro-brewing industry is to receive a £120,000 boost after German discount grocer Aldi unveiled plans for its second “beer festival”.

The chain’s first beer event, which took place across its 45 Scottish stores in November, saw 55,000 bottles being snapped up. So the firm has ordered some 70,000 bottles for the second festival from 30 breweries to keep up with demand, with 13 brewers taking part for the first time. A total of 33 beers will be on offer from Thursday.

Richard Holloway, Scottish managing director at Aldi, said: “We were extremely pleased with the success of the beer festival and we received some fantastic feedback from our customers.

“It feels right to bring the festival back. The festival is part of our ongoing commitment to work with local suppliers.”

Charlie Gorham, national manager at the Society of Independent Brewers (Siba), said: “As it is our mission to support the independent brewing industry as much as possible, we are especially pleased to hear Aldi is working with a further 13 breweries across the country.”

Producers taking part in the festival for the first time include the Eden Brewery near St Andrews in Fife, Oban Bay Brewery and West Beer in Glasgow.

Other firms supplying drinks include Knops Beer Company, which recently moved into a micro­brewery in the walled garden development on the Archerfield Estate, East Lothian.

Award-winning beers in the promotion include: Melville’s Strawberry Beer by Edinburgh-based Innis & Gunn and Inveralmond Brewery’s Ossian.