Latest news with #ScottishFavourites
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Lidl to give equal shelf space to Scottish female brewers
Lidl is raising a glass to equality with the launch of the first ever gender-balanced beer aisle, giving equal shelf space to beers brewed by women and female-owned breweries. And it's Scottish brewers who are leading the charge, including Glasgow's WEST, Edinburgh's Stewart Brewing and Innis & Gunn, Dundee's 71 Brewing, Aberdeen's Fierce and the Highlands' Loch Lomond Brewing. Rolling out across 112 Scottish stores from Thursday 28 August, the move reflects a brewing industry that's in transformation, while paying tribute to its roots. Historically, beer-making was considered 'women's work'. In households across Scotland women brewed beer as a safer alternative to water. As brewing became commercialised, women's presence diminished, their contributions often limited to keeping breweries running during the World Wars or appearing in advertising - including the infamous Tennent's Lager Lovelies, where negligee-clad women adorned lager tins. Today, Lidl is writing a new chapter in the history of women in brewing, and paving the way for future generations too. Alongside its gender-balanced beer aisle, 50p from every beer sold in the retailer's Scottish Favourites line-up will fund the Lidl Scholarship at Heriot-Watt University's International Centre of Brewing and Distilling, supporting a female brewer to qualify at a commercial level. Female-brewed beers that will have proceeds donated to the Lidl Scholarship include flavoursome Scottish brews such as 71 Brewing's Peachy Radler (3% ABV), Fierce's Fancy Juice IPA (5%), Innis & Gunn's Tequila Cask Blonde (5.1% ABV) and Loch Lomond's Big Mango Sour, Orange & Passionfruit (8% ABV). Lidl's gender parity initiative is being marked with a striking 'pourtrait' - a unique photograph that celebrates the leadership, commitment and craft of six of the nation's leading female brewers. Mara Bäcker Scott, senior buying manager of Beer at Lidl GB, said: "This is a significant moment in retail history, and one we're incredibly proud to lead. "Lidl's mission has always been to deliver exceptional quality and value, and through our sourcing and supplier strategy we've had the privilege of working with brilliant women at the forefront of the craft beer scene. 'Women have been an integral part of beer-making for centuries, and today they bring extraordinary skill, creativity and quality to every stage of the process. "To be able to showcase that talent on our shelves, and know that every sale will help create the first-ever Lidl Scholarship for a future female brewer, is a moment we're thrilled to share with Lidl customers.' Craft beers brewed by women where 50p from each purchase will go towards the Lidl Scholarship include: Brewery Beer ABV Format Price 71 Brewing Radler Peachy 3% 440ml £1.59 71 Brewing Super Massive Black Hole Stout 7.2% 440ml £2.19 Stewart Brewing Jurassic Guava Infused Hazy IPA 5% 440ml £1.89 Stewart Brewing Fresh Hops of Bel-Air West Coast IPA 6.5% 440ml £1.99 WEST Velo Lemon Radler 2.7% 330ml £1.19 WEST Wild WEST Unfiltered Lager 4.9% 440ml £1.89 Fierce Dubai Chocolate Pistachio Stout 6.5% 440ml £1.99 Fierce Fancy Juice IPA 5% 440ml £1.89 Fierce Iron Brew Beer Cooler 4.5% 440ml £1.89 Innis & Gunn Lager Beer 4.6% 10 x 440ml £13.16 Innis & Gunn Ossian 4.1% 10 x 440ml £11.73 Innis & Gunn Tequila Cask Blonde 5.1% 330ml £1.59 Loch Lomond Big Mango Sour, Orange & Passionfruit 8% 440ml £2.29 Loch Lomond Silvereye NZ DDH Pale 4.7% 440ml £1.89 Find out more via the Lidl website here.
Scotsman
26-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Edinburgh firm's ‘vodka pouches' hit shelves at more than 175 Scottish convenience stores
'Young Spirits is a fantastic example of a company using its industry knowledge to create something fresh and exciting for the market' Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... An Edinburgh-based spirits bottling and branding business is seeing its diversification into the multi-million-pound 'ready to drink' market take a significant step forward. Young Spirits, founded in 2019 by John Ferguson and Alex Harrison, has undergone a major programme of growth in the last five years. It now employs a 40-plus team and has expanded its remit, developing its own portfolio of products and tapping into the growing trend for convenience drinks. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The firm's most recent endeavour, Nips & Sips, a range of single-serve vodka pouches, saw off competition from more established brands to win an exclusive listing with convenience retailer Scotmid, across an estate of more than 175 stores. Scotmid's Steven Addison with Young Spirits' co-founder Alex Harrison. The idea for the new range came from the Young Spirits founders, who are said to have spotted a gap in the market for an innovative, ready-to-drink spirits product that was more convenient than the traditional bottle or can format. Young Spirits also takes a sustainable approach to its operations and has established a carbon neutral bottling site as well as ensuring its vodka pouches are fully recyclable. Co-founder Ferguson said: 'Young Spirits was founded as a modern, sustainable partner to companies in the spirits sector, offering next level support for a wide range of new product development and bottling projects. Alongside that, we are using our expertise to develop our own portfolio of spirits brands, to bring innovation and great products to today's consumers. Nips & Sips is a perfect example.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Steven Addison, local sourcing manager at Edinburgh-headquartered Scotmid, added: 'Nips & Sips stood out in our Scottish Favourites competition for its fun approach to convenience and innovation. The competition is all about championing Scotland's most exciting or up-and-coming food and drink brands, helping them take the next critical step in their journey.
