General Information

Why SBC?

• SBC is the UK's most unique and exciting beer export company.
• SBC has brought together under one consortium an exclusive selection of the best British brands available.
• Our proposition enables customers to place all their order requirements through one point of contact allowing them to order what they want and when they need it, whilst utilizing all the fantastic POS that is available.
• All our beers have been selected as best in their category and our portfolio represents everything from national award winning brands to specialist micro breweries offering brands with a real point of difference.
• The SBC export team is focused on building brands, developing relationships and offering exceptional customer service. 
• SBC vision is to be the Biggest and Best brand builder in the U.K export market

Interesting facts

1 in every 14 pints brewed in the UK is exported.

The British Beer export market has grown 300% since 1998

2006 saw a growth of 43% in exporting, whereas UK sales dropped 3%

Over 100 countries import British Beer

1.9 million pints are consumed everyday in export markets

The total value of British Beer exports is over £1 Billion annually

The market is split: 33% Bottle; 38% Cans and 29% Draught - SBC Have all 3 in it's portfolio  

Quotes

“I am delighted to be able to form a partnership with SBC to help the Marston’s portfolio grow in Export markets. The network, dedication and knowledge within the SBC team were a key factor in my decision and I believe that the Marston’s brands are now ready to become a force throughout the world!”

Rod Grainger – Head of Contract Services, Marstons PLC

“What a superbly professional organisation! They tell you what they’re going to do and then just do it! No fuss, just action! We’re a major player in the UK but have little experience of other markets. We needed somebody who knew what they were doing and who we could completely rely on. SBC fit the bill perfectly for us in this regard”

Stuart Bateman, Managing Director, George Bateman & Son Ltd. Wainfleet, Lincolnshire

“We were approached by SBC and were presented with an idea that tantalized. Having seen the thorough amounts of research SBC had conducted into the Export opportunity, it was clear that the partnership was too good an opportunity to miss.  We look forward to Hop Back brands becoming available throughout the Globe!”

Greig Futcher, Sales & Distribution Manager, Hop Back Brewery

British Brewing History

The brewing of beer is a universal ancient art. Barley, the main raw material in brewing, was in existence as far back as 3000BC. The early Neolithic people grew wheat and barley and hieroglyphics show that even in early Egyptian times an ancient beverage was derived from barley.  

The art of brewing has remained much the same since the invasion of England some 2000 years ago. In the middle ages the most common drink of the day was ale. Until 1400 the ingredients of ale consisted of malted barley, water and yeast. The ale was very sweet, full of protein and carbohydrates, making it a good source of nutrition. It is thought that in the fifteenth century a new version of ale was introduced to England from Holland, with the introduction of hops. Hops added a measure of bitterness and were thought to help preserve the ale.

A black, hoppy beer was developed in London in the early 18th century, which soon became known as ‘porter’ named after the porters in the markets of London with whom the beer was popular. Porter was for many years the main beer sold in many cities. In the 1750s the Irish produced a rich, creamy version known as ‘stout-porter’, later abbreviated to ‘stout’. Irish stout is traditionally very bitter whilst British stout tends to be smoother with a softer flavour.

The most famous British beer appeared in the 1930's and was known as 'India Pale Ale'. It was developed for the British based in India and had a high hop content, which acted as a good preservative on long hot journeys. Marstons Old Empire is a fantastic example of this.

Originally IPA was not sold in Britain, but when a ship bound for India sank en route and its cargo of beer was salvaged and brought back to shore it was an instant hit!!

The brewing process is divided into six stages; grinding, mashing, boiling, cooling, fermenting and racking. The malt is cleaned and crushed, the ground malt called "grist", is mixed with hot water in a vessel called a "mash tun", then this is allowed to stand, the process is called mashing. Subsequently the resulting liquid, now called "wort" is run into coppers where it is boiled with hops. The hopped wort is then cooled and dropped into fermenting vessels, and mixed with yeast, this process lasts about five or six days. At the end of fermentation the product now called beer is run into casks, this is known as racking.

Like any natural product, beer will age and go off, and therefore must be drunk within a strict timescale. It requires care in handling throughout every step of the brewing and delivery process. Real ale undergoes a natural second fermentation in the cask and this natural process ensures an amazing product without needing to filter, pasteurise or add gas, ensuring no flavour is compromised.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Pedigree

Marston’s Brewery brews a fantastic range of quality ales, the most famous being Marston’s Pedigree which is renowned across the globe. Pedigree has always been crafted using the finest natural ingredients – we only use genuine natural Burton spring water and traditional varieties of barley and hops rather than less expensive, commercially produced modern hybrids. But special to the world, it is brewed in the oak casks of the Burton Union System to preserve the unique character and consistent quality. Marston’s has maintained the traditions of the Burton Unions despite the higher costs of production whilst others have decided to cease brewing in this way. Roger Protz quotes: ‘Pedigree has a fascinating aroma and palate of biscuity malt, spicy hops, overlain by all the famous salty, sulphury note that comes from the spring waters of the Trent Valley’.

Pedigree Facts

4.5% ABV Available in 30Litre Keg, 500ml Bottle, 500ml Can and 275ml bottle

(Subject to volume requirements)

• Named by Michael Jackson as “The King of Bitters”
• Named in the top 10 of Roger Protz’s “300 beers to try before you die”
• Marston’s Pedigree was named an “Icon of England”, endorsed by the UK Government
• Marston's Pedigree is one of Britain's Top 2 favourite premium cask ales and continues to grow.
• 1 in every 8 pints of premium cask ale sold across the UK is Marston’s Pedigree.
• In 2006 Marston’s is named the “Official Beer of England” by the ECB

Oyster Stout

The name Oyster Stout originates back from the days of Dickens when stout and oysters were considered a poor man’s hearty food. There are no oysters in “oyster stout”, but the association still makes a great companion for a dish of oysters. Marston’s Oyster Stout was originally launched in 1998; Oyster Stout has grown from strength to strength with in the U.K and is seen by many as a real contender as the alternative to some of the more widely recognised international stouts. The widely accepted definitive Stout has routes with Ireland and Oyster is no exception to the rule with the finings of the product

originating from Irish waters. The water used for this hallowed drink is rich in chloride and softer than the more traditional ales, giving it fullness on the pallet to balance the bitterness of the malts.

The balancing flavours come mainly from the malts, using pale ale malt as a base, but adding generous proportions of malted wheat, black malt and roasted barley to give it a rich earthy character to the flavour.

Oyster Stout Facts

4.5% ABV Available in 30Litre Keg and 500ml Bottle.

• Gold Medal Winner Best Bottled Stout Brewing Industry International.
• Champion Bottled Beer as voted by CAMRA.
• A Stout that has roots with Ireland.
• Rich, dark and exceptionally creamy smooth stout.
• Fantastic stout to have with hearty food.
• Brewed for a younger, wider audience.

Old Empire

5.7% ABV Available in 500ml Bottle.

• Award Winning India pale ale that originated in the 19th century.
• Its colour and flavour make Old Empire a 21st century beer “Roger Protz”.
• One of the most successful bottle launches of recent times and now showing growth that
• Out strips all its top competitors.

Owd Roger

7.6% ABV Available in 500ml Bottle.

• One of the world’s oldest beer recipes at over 500 years old.
• Old style country ale with an explosion of rich fruit flavours followed by a bitter sweet finish.

Single Malt

4.2% ABV Available in 500ml Bottle.

• Brewed using some of the oldest varieties of barley, associated with Whisky Distillers.
• Mellow beer with a flavour as distinctive as a single Malt Whisky.

Barley Gold

9.1% ABV Available in 275ml Bottle and 330ml Can.

• Award Winner at the 2004 and 2005 International Brewing Awards.
• A hearty, potent warm strong ale that is particularly suitable as a partner for red meat, game or cheese.

Jennings

Jennings Brewery has fantastic roots as it is produced in the Lake District of the U.K. The first inhabitants of Lake District thousands of years ago were the Vikings and on record the Lake District is one of the oldest places on earth, at one point it was believed to be higher than Mount Everest! For the last 170 years, the Lake District has been home to the Jennings brewery and today still, the pure Lakeland water is drawn from the Brewery’s own well and mixed with only the finest ingredients of barley and hops to create award winning beers. The flagship brand and most popular outside the Lake District is the Jennings Cumberland Ale. Traditionally brewed for over a hundred years using the pure Lakeland water, this beer is a full flavoured beer with a delicate hop characteristic, making it ideal for the demanding, modern

beer drinker.

Cumberland Ale

4.0% ABV Available in 500ml Bottle.

• Jennings best selling product outside the Lake District.
• Brewed for over 100 years, this is a full flavoured beer ideal for modern beer.
• Cumberland continues to grow at 16.3% year on year.

Cocker Hoop

4.6% ABV Available in 500ml Bottle.

• An Award Winning golden bitter from an all malt brew.
• The Lake Districts most popular Summer brew.

Sneck Lifter

5.1% ABV Available in 500ml Bottle.

• Won the bronze title in the 2005 International brewing industry awards.
• A dark beer, with a reddish tinge that creates a strong satisfying beer.

Batemans

Batemans brewery is one of the most famous brewers in the U.K and has now been run by 4 generations of the same family since 1874. The brewery still uses today the same Victorian brewing techniques that have made Bateman’s such a famous British brewery and in 1997, the brewery won the prestigious “”Brewery of the Year” award. Triple XB is a superb classic beer with a complex palate of robust hop flavour balanced by malt and with its fish based finings is a great choice

for the vegan friendly. It is also one the most award winning beers in the U.K winning the CAMRA “Best Premium Ale” no less than 5 times and the “Best English Premium Ale” at the 1999 International Beer and Cider competition.

TripleXB

4.8% ABV Available in 500ml Bottle.

• Batemans “Voted Brewery of the year 1997”.
• Winner of the “Best Premium Ale” at the 1999 International beer awards.
• CAMRA Winner 5 times of the “Best Premium Ale”.
• Gold Medal at the International beer awards.
• Classic English bitter, ideally accompanied with cheese or red meats.

Thatchers

Thatcher’s is one of the countries leading independent cider producers and first began producing ciders over 100 years ago. The Thatcher’s family still own and run the business and even today still use the original recipes to produce award winning ciders.

Katy

7.4% ABV Available in 500ml Bottle.

The Katy brand is one of the leading sellers and is produced using only the best freshly pressed English apples that are

matured in oak to leave a single varietal cider that is light, crisp and captures all the goodness of the Katy apple. Fine Express magazine states; “Dry, crisp, delicate and fragrant, this cider is ideal as an accompaniment to white meat, but also excellent for afternoon quaffing!”

Gold

5.3% ABV Available in 500ml Bottle.

Gold is a contemporary classic cider that tastes as good as it looks with a crisp, fresh and smooth “apply” taste

that is full of sparkle. Gold is extra special because it is made with only English apples that are grown within the Thatcher’s orchards where only top quality apples are selected by specialist cider producers. Martin Thatcher, fourth generation of cider maker says; “Gold has all the attributes of a great draught cider in a bottle”

Hopback

Today Hop Back Summer lightning is one of the cult beers of the U.K, loved by real ale enthusiasts. First brewed in 1986 when John and Julie Gilbert purchased the freehold of a pub in the outskirts of Salisbury in Wiltshire.

Very quickly as the beer won awards, recognition and sales, a bespoke brewery was created which has been the beers home since 1992. Always a trendsetter in the brewing industry it was the aspirational summer ale, but now brewed all year round. An extremely pleasant, straw coloured beer with a terrific fresh and hoppy aroma.

Summer Lightning

4.8% ABV Available in 500ml Bottle.

• Bottle conditioned to give you the true experience of Real Ale.
• Style of bitter will appeal to lager drinkers as well.
• Probably the most awarding winning beer in the UK.

Titanic

The Titanic brewery was founded in Burslem, Stoke On Trent in 1985 and it had a clear goal, to produce great beer!

Burslem is the U.K Mother town of pottery with legends such as Wedgwood, Doulton and Claris Cliff all starting their apprentices here. But probably the most famous and significant individual from this area of the world and who the brewery was named after in honour was Captain Edward John Smith - the commander on the worlds most famous liner, the Titanic! Titanic develop all their products in a log fired Victorian micro brewery using only natural ingredients that in moderation can have health benefits. They annually produce in excess of 2 million pints making this brewery a real connoisseur of true British beer.

Titanic Stout

4.5% ABV Available in 500ml Bottle.

• A true old fashioned Stout with a dark combination of malt and roast providing a flavoured and well balanced palate.
• The Guardian bottled beer of Britain 1994 – Gold
• CAMRA Champion bottled beer of Britain 2004 – Gold
• CAMRA Champion bottled beer of Britain 2005 – Bronze
• CAMRA Champion bottled beer of Britain 2006 – Bronze
• CAMRA winner 6 times of the best Stout

White Star Ale

4.8% ABV Available in 500ml Bottle.

• A light, refreshing and distinctively hoppy beer that comes with a freshness that belies its strength and is so easy to drink!
• CAMRA winner 3 times of the “Best Premium Bitter”

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