Practical sales, strategy and operational support for established breweries. Helping you find your next opportunity or make your next leap and turn it into profitable growth.
Let’s talk about your brewery
Find your opportunity in a crowded market.
You know your brewery. Sometimes you need an experienced outside perspective, someone to take ownership of a project, or commercial support that fits your budget.
When it’s time to rethink your approach, I’ll help you assess where you are, focus on what makes your brewery unique and turn your ambitions into an achievable commercial plan.
Get an important project off the to-do list. From defining the brief to co-ordinating the work, I bring structure, focus and hands-on delivery.
Experienced account management for breweries that need support without a full-time appointment. I help develop and maintain customer relationships, pursue opportunities and keep your sales plans moving.
Practical support for the demands of grocery, convenience and wholesale.
A range that reflects the opportunity and your brewery’s strengths.
The planning and coordination behind a dependable supply.
I founded Meerkat Brew in 2018 to give breweries access to experienced, practical commercial and operational support. I work with small and medium-sized established breweries that need help with existing business resource challenges and consultancy on growth.
I bring 30 years of commercial, operational and trade marketing experience in beer. My background spans senior roles starting at Young’s and PLB, including leadership within Bibendum PLB / Conviviality and Estrella Galicia Internacional.
I understand the connection between winning business and making it work for the brewery. I’ll work directly with you and your team to set clear priorities, make practical decisions and see the work through.
From finding a new distribution partner to coordinating a complex supply transition, Meerkat Brew brings commercial and operational experience together to move important projects forward.
Following the collapse of Conviviality plc, Estrella Galicia Internacional needed a new UK distributor for their beer range. Meerkat Brew led the search and identified Greene King as the best distribution partner available, helping the brand expand to new routes to market at a critical time in the brand’s growth trajectory.
There followed a 12-month integration of commercial strategy, route-to-market planning and execution, and trade marketing across all levels, from leadership to regional sales teams, followed by a four-year acting commercial director role for the UK & Ireland.
The right new UK distributor was found for Estrella Galicia with turnover quadrupling over 5 years.
Meerkat Brew managed the transfer of contract bottling, brand inventory and logistics from Marston’s plc to Holdens, and supermarket commercial activity and account management from PLB to Real Drinks, for four UK breweries following Carlsberg’s purchase of Marston’s and the closure of their contract services.
The project involved integrating logistics, moving and managing dry stock inventory, and establishing new brewing and bottling forecasts to fit the new contractor while co-ordinating the commercial and operational transition. It also involved embedding each brewery’s portfolio and brand story into the Real Drinks sales teams.
All existing off-trade distribution maintained across the breweries’ respective brands, with no drop in availability. A renewed passion for the beers in front of the buyers.
Meerkat Brew was briefed to bring a new design and feel to a long-standing but dated brand. The challenge was to make the move ‘revolution’, not just ‘evolution’.
The project involved moving from paper to self-adhesive labels and using the opportunities that change offered for a fresh look.
I used AI to establish visual concepts from the brief. Over a series of briefings, we arrived at a defined direction that Batemans agreed and passed to a designer to complete. I then attended the first pressing of the labels so adjustments could be made on the line before the final label run.
A brand new modern look that has created a template for the next generation of Batemans Premium Bottle Ale launches
Commercial growth backed by the operational experience to support it. Selected achievements from my career before founding Meerkat Brew.
Commercial, operational, and trade marketing experience across the drinks industry, from brewery businesses, route to market driven roles, brand agency operators and national multiples.
As Off Trade Director at Young & Co.’s Brewery, I developed and led the premium bottled ale range from zero to 50,000 hectolitres, working with marketing and production on new products and category insight to punch way above our weight!
At PLB and latterly Bibendum PLB, I led the unique creation of a consolidated bulk buying and contract packaging and supermarket one-stop supply solution for premium bottled ales and European own label beer. My team commercially and operationally managed over 100 UK and European beer suppliers through one point of contact, delivery and invoice.
Support shaped around the task and your team, with a clear understanding of what needs to happen and who is responsible.
Talk through your business, the challenges you’re facing and what a successful outcome would look like.
Agree the scope, priorities, timing and how we’ll work together, whether it’s a focused project or ongoing help.
Work alongside your team, take ownership of the agreed tasks and keep you informed as the work progresses.
If you have a challenge to work through or an opportunity to explore, get in touch with Mark for an initial conversation.
