Lerwick Brewery seals Cairngorm contract

ONE of Scotland’s newest micro-breweries has signed a £250,000 deal with the Cairngorm Brewery to bottle its beers.

Lerwick Brewery was opened in June by brothers Graham, pictured, Jimmy and John Mercer and produces 60° North, a pilsner-style lager, and red ale Skipper’s Ticket.

Lerwick’s in-house bottling line can only cope with 350 bottles each hour, while Cairngorm’s bottling hall can handle 2,500.

John said: “All our beer will be developed and made on Shetland – but this deal enables us to produce much more, get it packaged and send it to retailers across the UK at a much faster rate than we could do previously.”

Lerwick has distribution deals in place with Imports Scotland and Williamsons Foodservice covering the north of Scotland and other parts of the UK.

Cairngorm – which makes beers including Sheepshaggers Gold, Trade Winds and Wildcat – opened its £1.6 million bottling plant in 2012. Lerwick is the ninth firm to use its services, with two more in the pipeline.