2022: A year in review

Wrapping up 2022, it was a challenging year for the industry with various factors affecting small brewers and independent venues. At Heist Brew Co, we reflect on the year that was.

2022 marked the first full year of operation at our Neepsend brewery and taproom in Sheffield, and after two years of struggle due to the pandemic, we were optimistic for a strong rebound. Despite the lingering impacts of the pandemic and the inflation caused by the illegal invasion of Ukraine, we remained positive and focused on our mission.

Our business model involves selling on-site as well as distributing nationwide and into Europe. This provides a permanent outlet for our beers, enabling us to maintain complete control over quality assurance and to receive face-to-face feedback from our customers. Despite the need for increased capacity, we held off on expanding our brew kit, knowing that the industry would see casualties from the restrictions. Instead, we added fermentation space to the current setup and brewed more frequently to meet the demand.

In the summer of 2022, we invested in a canning line to reach a new market segment. The investment not only saved us money but allowed us to can more of our beers and reach areas where we were previously unable to establish a presence.

The year also saw a change in our brewing team, with founding brewer Rachel moving on to Buxton Brewery and Luke joining us from Verdant, bringing new skills and expertise to the table. Our bar manager, Danny, was promoted to a sales role, which resulted in a 300% increase in off-site sales in just a few months. We have exciting plans for 2023 and are aiming for another 100% growth in the brewing arm of the business, while considering the cost of new equipment to reach our full potential.

We’ve been all over the country and into Europe too, festivals hosted in Sheffield, Leeds, London, Derby, Nottingham, Sofia (Bulgaria), Budapest (Hungary), Caminha Artbeerfest (Portugal) and more, working alongside other brewers that we look up to and feeling that we are holding our own in a crowded marketplace with innovative and creative beers that excite. 2023 is even bigger with European festivals already lined up, as well as two in the USA early 2023; watch this space!