Manchester Agency help pubs and bars reopen after lockdown

As pub doors closed for lockdown, Venn’s remained open with a brief from Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I to build a platform for the Independent Free Trade to return their beer and cider brands that were deemed unsalable due to the Covid-19 closure. A partnership with the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) ensured it soon became the industry standard for the majority of UK brewers, to manage the process of excise duty reclaim from HMRC.

Return Your Beer was launched in just 4 weeks. Fast forward 4 months, and the platform reached 33,500 registered pubs and venues across the UK and 280,000 kegs submitted in 38,000 total claims. Venn worked closely initially with Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I to develop the platform, and it wasn’t long before Molson Coors, Heineken, Carlsberg, Asahi and Marstons contributed further to the Return Your Beer website which ultimately supported a total of 28 UK brewers all listing their brands on the platform.

Sarah Toms, Commercial Director at Venn said: “We are proud to have played a small part in a crisis that affected all of us. Our team worked 18 hr days to launch a viable solution in just 4 weeks, to help the brewers, the free trade outlets and larger pub groups safely destroy and replenish stock for when lockdown lifted. Our B2B commerce solution gave us the confidence to rapidly deploy a secure and robust solution, managing huge amounts of data. A big thank you to the team at Venn, the BBPA and the Brewers whom supported this collective mission!”

Mark Wilson / Director of On Trade Sales Operations & Execution at Carlsberg said: “Venn have been impressive partners to work with on the Return Your Beer project in tackling an unprecedented challenge facing the UK beer industry following the Government’s decision to close the on-trade.”

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “The platform also provided vital guidance and instructions to publicans ensuring they destroyed their beer safely. It was crucial to getting pubs back open and serving beer once more and we estimate it saved the industry tens of millions of pounds in credit flowing back to pubs vital to their recovery.”

Venn are based at Glasshouse, Alderley Park.