Beer brand pushes for St Andrew’s Day
A LEADING brewing industry veteran and Scotland’s National Chef, Gary Maclean, have called on the Scottish retail and hospitality trades to get behind a new campaign to make the country’s national day – St Andrew’s Day – a major moment in the annual calendar.
Sector expert Nigel McNally reckons that Scotland’s supermarkets and convenience retailers alongside beleaguered pubs, bars and restaurants could be missing out on turnover of up to £40 million by not focusing promotional attention on St Andrew’s Day.
And his opinion should carry some weight as it was McNally who spearheaded the trade rebirth of St George’s Day in England, driving a 10-fold increase in sales for English premium bitter brand Bombardier on the back of St George’s Day in the 90s.
McNally now reckons that there has never been a better time to make the most of Scotland’s national day and looks to his own Glasgow beer firm Kestrel Brewing Company to do just that.
“By Scottish standards, St. Andrew’s Day is a relative non-event and at a time when figures show that UK pubs lost £5.7 billion of revenue from beer sales in 2021 and the retail sector remains in recovery mode with rising prices and supply chain issues, it’s time to do something about re-imagining what the national day should look like.
“We know from experience that we need to galvanise the trade, make some noise and seize the opportunity staring us in the face,” McNally said.
To do so, Kestrel Brewing Company is set to launch a raft of support for the beer brand, including a nationwide marketing campaign to help elevate focus on St. Andrew’s Day celebrations.
Partnerships are already in place across the Scottish independent, convenience and on-trade channels as well as across Asda stores, according to Kestrel, with further plans to relaunch the brand’s 5%, 7% and 9% ABV variants soon with new looks and a further release on draught.
McNally recognised the firm’s potential in 2012 when he decided to purchase the award-winning Kestrel lager brand and set up the Kestrel Brewing Company in order to nurture and develop it.
Under his stewardship, Kestrel has now returned to its Scottish roots and is being brewed at a state-of-the-art facility next to Glasgow Cathedral – the same site it has used since 1556.
Along with Kestrel’s support, Glaswegian Masterchef The Professionals winner and Scotland’s National Chef, Gary Maclean, has voiced his own support to drive more attention around Scotland’s national day and remains bullish about its prospects to help to provide support for both the retail and hospitality channels.
Maclean said: “Our industry has gone through hell from lockdowns to a recovery coming in fits and starts. And now with the cost-of-living crisis, including rising energy and produce costs, the sector could do with a proper shot in the arm.
“St Andew’s Day has been neglected in the shadow of Burns and Hogmanay, but it’s our national day and it seems mad not to make more of it.”
“I believe our hospitality and retail sectors have real opportunities here and I want to do whatever I can to reshape our relationship with St Andrew.”
