Beer brand using a contract brewery
Create your own beer brand, have it brewed at an existing brewery and sell it locally.
- £5k-25k
- Side hustle
- Out and about
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in the UK, not guarantees.
Official data
1,969 UK companies in this field, 13% registered in the last 2 years
SIC 11050 “Manufacture of beer”. Source: Companies House, November 2026.
What it is
You design the recipes and brand, and an established brewery brews and packages the beer for you. You focus on sales and marketing without owning brewing kit.
Your first three steps
- Talk to several local breweries about contract brewing, minimum batch sizes and costs
- Develop one or two beer recipes and test them with a small trial batch
- Design your label and take samples to local pubs and shops
Who pays
Local pubs, bottle shops, delis and farm shops, plus drinkers buying online, at markets and at events.
How it makes money
You pay the brewery per batch and sell the beer at a higher price, keeping the margin after duty, packaging and delivery.
Skills that help
- Understanding beer styles and flavour
- Branding and design
- Selling and building trade relationships
- Organising batches, stock and deliveries
Watch out for
- Alcohol duty and registration: check with HMRC who is responsible for duty and what approvals you need if you hold or sell stock
- A licence may be needed to sell to the public or deliver, check with your local council
- Label rules for alcohol, allergens and ABV, check with Trading Standards
- Check your trade mark and beer name are not already in use
- Minimum batch sizes can leave you with a lot of stock to sell before it goes out of date
- Public liability and product liability insurance
🔒 Full research report for UK
Real cost breakdown with current prices, licences and registration checklist, local competition, pricing, break-even and a 30-day launch plan, with sources.
Coming soonQuestions people ask
How much does it cost to start a contract brewed beer brand in the UK?
Startup costs are typically around £5,000 to £25,000, depending on batch size, packaging and branding. These are estimates, so get quotes from breweries and plan for the stock you must sell before it goes out of date.
Do I need a licence or to pay duty to sell contract brewed beer?
Things to check: with HMRC, who is responsible for alcohol duty and what approvals you need if you hold or sell stock; with your local council, whether a licence is needed to sell to the public or deliver; and Trading Standards label rules.
How much can a contract brewed beer brand earn?
Monthly revenue is typically around £1,000 to £5,000, depending on how many pubs, shops and events you sell to. That is revenue, not profit, and these are estimates. Expect to spend at least around 10 hours a week.
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