Online beer subscription service Beer52 has agreed a deal to purchase “certain trade and assets” of stricken craft beer distributor Eebria.
The deal – terms of which were not disclosed – will see 16 full time employees transfer to Beer52.
It came after Eebria was placed into administration on 19 March.
The rescue would allow Eebria “to move forward well-capitalised, with a strong balance sheet and a clear focus to get more craft beer into more pubs, bars, shops and restaurants”, Beer52 said.
It added that the business would continue to trade as normal, while “benefitting from the new owner’s capabilities in operations, sales and marketing to grow its customer base”.
Founded in 2013, Eebria’s online marketplace enables hospitality and retail businesses to purchase stock directly from brewers across the UK.
Beer52 said the platform facilitated “around £7m of trade each year”.
In a letter to Eebria customers seen by The Grocer, Beer52 CEO Fraser Doherty admitted that “trade creditors are unlikely to be repaid in full for the trading period prior to administration, as a result of debts to lenders, HMRC and others”.
He added Beer52 wanted “to do all that is possible to see the platform thrive under our ownership”.
“We are acutely aware of how difficult the current trading environment is for breweries, brands, producers, and customers,” Doherty said. “Now more than ever, the industry we love needs Eebria’s revolutionary platform to thrive, connecting suppliers and customers and getting more people drinking great beer.”
He added: “Our immediate priority is to ensure orders continue to be successfully fulfilled for customers, but we will also be reaching out to customers and suppliers, to learn what improvements they would like to see as we develop the platform into the future.”
Brewers welcomed the news. Darron Anley, founder of Berkshire’s Siren Craft Brew, said he was confident Eebria customers would “continue to receive great service” under its new ownership.
Ben Cleary of Full Circle Brewing added Beer52 was “a leader in the craft beer subscription space, with vast knowledge and expertise on trends and logistics”.
Beer52, founded in Edinburgh in 2013, claims to be “the UK’s most popular craft beer club”. It delivers curated monthly beer and snack selection boxes to over 150,000 members.
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