A SCOTTISH brewer has claimed it is now Tesco’s top selling craft beer as it hailed sales tripling year-on-year to almost £2 million. 

The news comes as the Edinburgh-based Vault City brewery launches two new beers made using real fruit nationwide in Tesco, a Blueberry Maple beer and Triple Fruited Mango beer.

Its beer is available in more than 600 stores across the country.

The firm launched two beers on Tesco shelves last year, one made using tropical fruits and the other made using raspberries.  

The beers are exclusive to Tesco and sit outside the company’s usual release schedule which involves a “drop” of three beers every third Sunday – with a green Apple Soor beer, which has been made specially for St Patrick’s Day, and a Guava and Passion Fruit beer among its most recent batch.


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Co-founder Steven Smith-Hay, a former IT consultant, said: “When we first launched in Tesco we had no idea what to expect. We spent a long time talking with our community about the decision and we continue to support the independents who helped us find our feet in the craft beer scene. 

“We’re focused on making great beer, and the Tesco deal has helped us take huge steps as a brewery. It has introduced lots of people to the world of modern sour beer. We’re taking it to a wider audience, and in doing so we can benefit from economies of scale which will allow us to continue to pay good wages and continue to develop a great brewery."

The Herald: Andy Wilkie, operations manager, and Steven Smith Hay, co-founder, Vault City BrewingAndy Wilkie, operations manager, and Steven Smith Hay, co-founder, Vault City Brewing

He added: “Our goal with our Tesco SKUs is to make them as accessible as possible – to create something light and refreshing for people who were potentially trying Vault City and sour beer for the first time ever. I hope these beers continue to start a good few people on their craft beer journey, eventually driving people towards bottle shops, bars and local breweries.”

Vault City, founded in January 2018, has seen revenues grow from just bwlow £94,000 in December 2019 to in excess of £1.8m in December last year, with gross profits in excess of £804,000. When costs are taken into account, the company is still recording a net profit in six figures.

Since a well-publicised shift to a four-day working week, revenues for 2022 are up 168% year-on-year, with net profits up 38%.


Chief of North Sea oil services heavyweight to step down as group posts £100m loss

The Herald: Robin WatsonRobin Watson

WOOD chief executive Robin Watson has announced plans to stand down after seven years in charge of the Aberdeen-based engineering giant.

Mr Watson said he felt the time was right to step down as chief executive after leading a drive to transform Wood from a business focused on the North Sea oil services industry into a global operation with interests in a wider range of energy and industrial markets.


Scottish transport giant FirstGroup unveils new chief

The Herald: Graham SutherlandGraham Sutherland

TRANSPORT giant FirstGroup has unveiled a Scottish telecoms veteran as its new chief executive.

The Aberdeen-based company, which owns First Bus and runs the Avanti West Coast rail franchise with Trenitalia, has appointed Graham Sutherland, a former senior executive of BT, to the role.

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