FIND YOUR NICHE AND DO IT BRILLIANTLY

By Donnie Rust

Anna and Bill Scantlebury’s initial plan for Cullercoats Brewery was written up back in 1994 after Bill began brewing beer at their home. Anna explains that at the time they were working as solicitors and so were on a completely different career path, however they were very sure about their idea and after a year of working on it, they took their fully fledged business plan to a bank and were promptly told, “not a chance.” Like many good ideas, it wasn’t the right time and while the plan sat brewing on a shelf, life continued and it may never have seen the light of day again if not for a very brave decision on the part of the Scantlebury’s.

With the same original plan, Bill took the plunge and left his job as a solicitor in 2011. Anna left her business as a children’s music leader soon after and joined the company full time and Cullercoats Brewery was finally a thing.

No Cheat Codes

“We found ourselves in a situation with two teenagers, a toddler and a dog, little in the way of savings and equity coming off the back of several job losses,” Anna tells us, “We were in our early

Of course, Anna reminisces, there are no shortcuts when it comes to brewing and the learning curve is very sharp, “It was much harder than anticipated and we almost ran out of money in the first six months,” she says, “But we’d committed ourselves to it and pushed through.”

This year the company is thirteen years old and is thriving. They have a string of industry awards under their belt and a loyal local following who enjoy their range of handcrafted cask and bottled ales.

There are no cheat codes for brewing, but there is a trick to it. Anna reveals that she thinks a strong brand for British traditional ales speaks to its locality, showing a proud and rooted connection and a sense of place, “The brand has to be something people want to shout about and share with friends and family and it goes from there.”

Anna reflects that if they maintain the quality of their traditional product, they will always have a market for as long as there are pubs in Britain! Much has been said about the closure of pubs but other outlets such as cafe bars and micropubs are complimenting the traditional pub aesthetic and good venues will survive. Even if they must turn into eateries or hotels.

“You have to understand how important consistent quality is to build a local customer base,” she adds, Your customers will pick your label out of a line of bottles as long as they believe that the quality is there.”

Being Local

Localism is also something of incredible value, Anna asserts. British made products are regaining popularity and painting a very positive picture of the future, in which even local products can be exported abroad to countries like Asia and East Europe where there is a strong rise of popularity for British beer brands.

The Scantleburys have resided in the village of Cullercoats since 1995. This village, part of the urban area near the mouth of the River Tyne close to Newcastle, is known for its charming cafes, sandy beaches, and small harbor. Through their daily beach walks and occasional surfing, they became keenly aware of the crucial role the Royal National Lifeboat Every staff member who

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Institution (RNLI) plays in Cullercoats and along the coast. Deeply woven into the community’s fabric and history, the RNLI inspired them to create a range of beers that reflect this heritage. Bill and Anna always aspired to give back to the community, so they incorporated a charitable donation into their business model. The RNLI receives 3p from every pint sold, and the brewery has donated over £75,000 to date.

All the beer names have some link to Cullercoats or the RNLI :

Best-selling Shuggy Boat Blonde recalls the popular seaside swing boats from Victorian times colloquially known as a “shuggy boat” in Northern England. It’s a fairground ride in which pairs of riders pull ropes to swing back and forth, still seen today at funfairs in the area.

Polly Donkin was a Cullercoats fishwife. In 1930 she was awarded the RNLI’s gold badge from the King, for distinguished honorary service in recognition of her remarkable fundraising.

Jack the Devil was the nickname of John Chisholm, the volunteer bowman of the lifeboat that rescued all but one of the crew of the Lovely Nelly. Cullercoats Lifeboat was called to the rescue of the ship after it was caught in a terrible storm in 1861, beyond the reach of the Rocket Brigade apparatus. (This was used when conditions were too bad to row out; the volunteer life brigade would attach a rocket to a length of rope and fire it out to a stricken ship and winch survivors back to dry land.) The Cullercoats Watch House is the iconic listed building in the village, from where families would wait for the safe return of their fishermen. It’s currently in need of major renovation, and the village is fundraising to pay for this.

The beers are brewed using British ingredients, and the brewery champions English grown hops and Maris Otter barley. Unique yeast is harvested by hand and re-pitched for every brew, a rarity in the small and medium brewery sector these days, which mainly relies on dried yeast. All beers benefit from secondary fermentation in the cask, or bottle – the mark of a top quality, traditionally produced, English ale.

“Brewed and bottled by humans not machines,” Anna says, “We taste, sniff and nurture our beer with care from mash tun to cask and bottle.”

STAFF/FACILITIES

Anna explains that Bill still does most of the production and delivery and works around 40-45 hours a week over five days with the brewing and barrelling days being longer 10–12-hour stints. She works around 30 hours a week, bottle labelling, handling accounts and admin work with the rest of her time taken up with family commitments.

Friday off, can re-charge,” she says, “It’s full on with just the two of us so it’s important to strike the