Beer52 is a monthly beer subscription service that delivers bottles of ‘speciality, hand-crafted’ beers from around the world to your door.
My brother and his friends reviewed the service 6 months ago and since then, Beer52 has gone from strength to strength, not only in terms of its subscription numbers and the diversity of breweries with whom it works, but in the way it deals with its subscribers. Beer52 now offers 7 days a week customer service with a response time of under 5 hours (something it emphasises is well below industry average) as well as online cancellation in less than 60 seconds and an FAQ section on their site which facilitates the management of your account. Beer52 has also launched a new courier service so that breakages are practically non-existent and delivery is completed within 2-3 days.
Beer52 has also developed a monthly magazine – Ferment – which is included in each box of beer as well as made available at hundreds of locations around the UK. I wrote an article which appears in the current issue of Ferment magazine and in doing so spoke to the founder of Beer52, James Brown, and the editor of Ferment, Erin Bottomley, about why they started the magazine and where they see it going.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING AT BEER52?
ERIN: “I’ve been with Beer52 since the end of January so I am a relative newbie when it comes to the world of subscription beer. Before that I nurtured my love of craft beer on the other side of the bar at BrewDog Edinburgh. But publishing has always been my first love. I graduated last year with an MSc in Publishing and I have worked in numerous different roles from proofreading, sales and marketing to libraries. I always loved working behind the bar though so it made sense to merge my two passions and work for a craft beer magazine.”
HOW HAS BEER52 GROWN SINCE THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
JAMES: “We’re working with the best breweries in the world, many of the beers brewed just for us – which means our members get access to the freshest beer available (from 4 to 6 weeks of being brewed to their glass) and we are really proud to be showcasing great beers in the freshest condition.”
We’re working with the best breweries in the world, many of the beers brewed just for us – which means our members get access to the freshest beer available.
HOW LONG HAS FERMENT BEEN IN EXISTENCE?
ERIN: “Ferment has been around for about 11 months now. Its main aim has always been to inform our subscribers about happenings in the craft beer world as well as giving info about the beers in our boxes. Over time it has evolved massively and continues to do so. Not only has it had a complete makeover for the last edition but it is now going to be distributed outside of our boxes which is really exciting to see how it goes down with the general public. It is still at a relatively young stage and is constantly changing and getting better and better and we hope to make it the leading monthly craft beer mag in the UK. We have lots of awesome beer writers working with us such as Mark Dredge and Matthew Curtis, as well as regular contributions from the Heriot-Watt Brewing and Distilling masters students Natural Selection Brewing, to our awesome chefs from the Hungry Bears’ Blog. Each month we have guest writers so it’s always changing and no two issues are the same.”
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO ESTABLISH FERMENT?
JAMES: “We included the magazine inside our boxes to give us more space to share the stories of the amazing breweries we work with. It’s the perfect match to try the beer and do a bit of reading on a lazy afternoon.”
WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR FERMENT?
ERIN: “Currently we have a print run of 20,000 going out in both our beer boxes and out to bars, coffee shops, independent bookshops etc. The magazine is going to just keep on growing to 50-75,000 copies per month as it comes into its own. We want it to be an authority on craft beer and the UK’s largest monthly craft beer mag. As it grows we also plan to start working with some more experts in the industry, I can’t say who yet but we are very excited about it.”
The magazine is going to just keep on growing to 50-75,000 copies per month as it comes into its own. We want it to be an authority on craft beer and the UK’s largest monthly craft beer mag.
WHY IS FERMENT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER BEER MAGAZINES, IF AT ALL?
JAMES: “Ferment is the largest and fastest growing craft beer magazine in the UK – we’ve just extended distribution in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow and I’m delighted to say that alongside Erin (editor of Ferment), we’ve got some top guest writers each month including Mark Dredge and Matthew Curtis. We’re also good friends with the guys at Hot Rum Cow (their office is right next to us) so we have learned a lot from them.”
WHY SHOULD SOMEONE PICK UP A COPY OF THIS ISSUE?
ERIN: “There are lots of exciting articles to look forward to next month! Matthew Curtis looks at the beer scene in Northern Colorado and how these breweries are influencing the craft beer scene worldwide. Ever thought about how we actually taste beer? Well, Neil Walker talks us through the science of taste. We also look at the first ever official Beer Day Britain and how we can all get involved in celebrating our favourite beverage. And of course a look at Belgian brewing with a particular focus on De Brabandere Brewery. Ferment can be found in Beer52’s craft beer box and in hundreds of locations throughout the UK. It is also available to view online once it has been released. So there is no excuse not to pick up a copy and have a read about what is going on in the craft beer industry.”
You can read the current issue of Ferment magazine online here: https://issuu.com/fermentmag/docs/ferment_issue_12_
