Sake brewery with a taproom

Local visitors, tourists, groups booking tastings, and trade customers such as restaurants and drinks shops.

Sales by the glass, tasting flights, tours and bottle sales in the taproom, plus wholesale and online orders. Hosting events can help fill quieter days.

• Basic brewing or fermentation knowledge
• Welcoming customers and explaining an unfamiliar drink
• Managing stock, cash flow and part-time staff

• Selling alcohol to the public usually needs a premises licence and a personal licence holder, so check with your local council
• Alcohol production usually needs HMRC approval and alcohol duty applies, so check the current rules before you brew to sell
• Planning permission and use class for a mix of production and hospitality, which varies by council
• Food hygiene registration, allergen information and labelling rules, plus fire safety for public premises
• Public liability insurance, employer's liability insurance once you hire, and cover for stock and equipment
• Higher fixed costs such as rent, rates and staff, with slow early sales while people learn about sake

Estimated startup costs are typically around £50,000 to £200,000, depending on the premises, brewing equipment and the size of the public tasting area.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around £5,000 to £25,000, depending on visitor numbers and trade sales. Higher fixed costs such as rent, rates and staff, plus slow early sales, can affect what you keep.

Check whether selling alcohol to the public needs a premises licence and a personal licence holder with your local council. Also check HMRC approval and alcohol duty, planning and use class, food hygiene, allergen, labelling and fire safety rules, and insurance.