Vault City, the first UK brewery to switch to a four-day working week, has revealed it has seen significant growth after securing new listings at Tesco.
Vault City’s 4-pack 330ml cans of their Strawberry and Peach release are now available in 650 Tesco stores nationwide, helping the sour beer producer pass £3 million turnover for the first time – an almost 50% increase year-on-year.
By securing a bumper order from the UK’s largest retailer, the firm is seemingly bucking the trend of falling beer sales by demonstrating that consumer demand for sour beer remains strong, despite reports beer sales are set to decline in 2023.
The business, which specialises in heavily fruited, modern sour beers – with flavours such as Mango Banana Coconut Crumble, Iron Brew and Raspberry Roulade – has since become one of the UK’s best-selling sour beer brands and the biggest in Scotland.
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The positive outlook for the year ahead comes as the Edinburgh beer producers made national headlines after becoming the first brewer in the UK to formally adopt a four-day working week in January last year.
As a result, the business saw that a reduction in working hours by 20% has coincided with business growth of approximately 50%, as well as improved staff productivity, mental health and overall happiness.
“As a small, independent craft brewer, we’re so proud to see our product stocked on the shelves in so many different Tesco supermarkets up and down the UK,” Vault City Brewing founder, Steven Smith-Hay said.
“Tesco’s investment in our Strawberry and Peach sour beer proves the appetite for craft beer across the country continues to grow. This is a huge opportunity to get Vault City into the hands of lots more people.
“Many people have switched to more sessionable, lower ABV beers – often looking for something reliable as opposed to taking a chance on lots of different, new beers.
“That’s what prompted us to create a 4-pack, and to introduce our first 330ml cans on the shelves in the UK. It has the same Vault City quality people can rely on, but at a more affordable price point.”
Smith-Hay added: “Obviously decreasing work hours is a huge commitment for a small business to make, however we’ve always believed work-life balance should be a big part of our culture and something worth striving for.
“After successful trials, we made the permanent switch at the start of last year and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. More staff are able to spend time with their families, switch off and prevent burnout,” he said.
