Thwaites plans to build success on bottled beers

The historic Blackburn firm said sales of its drinks in supermarkets were rocketing as discerning customers shun lagers in favour of real ale.

And bosses said an expanding variety of special ales, along with Thwaites’ flagship sponsorship deal with Lancashire County Cricket Club, were even raising the company’s profile in the famously hard-to-crack south of England market.

Commercial director Sue Allen said: “Our bottled premium lagers are a huge part of our success and that is increasing.

“Sales of lager are declining but the cask ale market is in growth and people seem to be moving towards our type of drinks.

“We are doing more and more of the special beers, increasing the range, and in terms of the future, we want to be extending the range.”

A new bottling plant at Thwaites’ Star Brewery HQ in Penny Street has increased the company’s capacity for producing its real ale range.

Mrs Allen said Wainwright, the smooth ale named after the former Blackburn rambler, would act as the ‘vanguard’ for the range.

It is already the firm’s top seller and became the first Thwaites ale available in all British supermarkets.

Bosses hope bottled beers will help Thwaites get back on track after its turnover dipped from £161.4million to £158.5million last year, with profits after tax halved.

However, the shop sales of the business contrasts somewhat with Thwaites’ pub side.

The firm has put several East Lancashire pubs up for sale with contracts banning them from remaining as inns.

But the company’s partnership with Northcote chef Nigel Haworth, which saw the Clog and Billycock in Pleasington, near Blackburn, spruced up and reopened as a gastro pub in 2008, is proving successful.

It could even lead to a future model with Thwaites opening more dedicated ‘food pubs’, bosses say.

Sales and marketing director Brian Jenkins added: “With the Clog, it all came together and the rest is history. We would like more of them.”