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Burning Sky reveals insight into costs and the true value of brewing
Burning Sky saved money by reassessing its supplier costs and revealed how the value in brewing is really linked to people.
Speaking earlier this week at the Brewers Congress in London, Burning Sky founder and head brewer Mark Tranter said: “In this industry, there are certain things that can’t be cut. You can’t cut corners. Some suppliers though, you might think you’ve got a good relationship with them and you might think they’re your friends, but at the end of the day, they have to make money out of you. So, we looked at every single thing we spent money on, from labels to keg and can supply, and even for a very small brewery like ours, I think we saved somewhere between £30,000 to £55,000 per year just by looking at our supplier costs.”
How was this achieved? Tranter said that it was not by switching suppliers or shopping around, but actually simply by asking more about the costs and starting conversations. He said: “The interesting thing is, we haven’t changed suppliers. They’ve just all sharpened their pencils because they don’t want to lose business.”
He admitted that it had been challenging with prices constantly going up and observed how he understood that “they just want to make money, and so they will carry on putting money on until you press them”.
Describing the journey, Tranter revealed that “some of the personal and professional highlights of the last 10 or 11 years for me [included] making the beers I dreamed of and seeing other people enjoying them”.
Tranter also hinted how the brewery’s success was not necessarily in its accolades, but in the relationships built with people. He explained: “Awards and recognition within the industry, it’s all quite nice for the ego” but highlighted how what he really appreciates most about his role in the sector is “mainly, the people. The guests we welcome into the brewery and talk with over a beer, or those people who leave conversational nuggets of wisdom with you” as well as “the people you surround yourself with”.
Tranter also noted how “most importantly” he appreciated “the wonderful people who make up Burning Sky”. The ones “who are there every working day, putting their own effort into making the beers, realising our dreams and keeping us up there as the best we can be as a humble little farmhouse brewery”.
He reminded: “There’s a lot more to being a brewery than beer. And as we ride this rollercoaster, I’m glad we’re just still here, doing our thing. It’s tough out there.”
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