Donegal brewery eyeing up British market for next year

THE  award-winning Kinnegar Brewing company in Letterkenny is planning to make in-roads into the potentially vast and lucrative British market in 2026 in what is set to be another exciting chapter in its ongoing success.

This will represent a significant step forward for the brewery which began commercial operations at a modest level back in 2013.
Kinnegar is now actually the third biggest ‘micro-brewery’ in Ireland and this year will produce in the region of 15,000 hectolitres (which equates to about three million bottles of beer).

From small beginnings in Rathmullan, the Kinnegar name is now nationwide with aamajor multiples such as Dunnes Stores, Tesco and Lidl stocking their products as well as independent off-licences and pubs.
The vast bulk of their beers are sold in Ireland, north and south, but now as co-founder Libby Carton reveals, Britain is on the radar.

Inside the modern Kinnegar Brewery in Letterkenny

“Our main market is the domestic one, exports are about 10 per cent. We have decided to push a bit and are looking at the UK market,” she told the Donegal News.
A potential distribution partner has been identified and she believes they can fill a slot in the market with the quality of their product and the fact that a cohort of the Irish diaspora in Britain are already aware of the Kinnegar brand and have asked about it.

Range
Kinnegar has a range of 13 core beers with its flagship and best-selling beer being Scraggy Bay followed by Limeburner.
But there is a rising new star from the Letterkenny-based brewery in the form of Jackrabbit, a new ginger beer.
“This is opening up a whole new customer base for us and giving us access to a whole new demographic,” Libby explains.

It appears to have hit the right spot with many drinkers – often of a younger profile – who may not drink other beers in their range. It can be served with ice and a slice of lime – or even mixed in a cocktail!
It has an ABV of 4 per cent and is also gluten free, giving it another competitive advantage.
It recently won a silver medal at the Blás na hÉireann Irish Food and Drink awards

Fans of Kinnegar’s products are often on the look out to see what is coming next. Like a number of other small producers, they make small one-off batches of beers.
They call them the ‘Brewery at Play’ series and can be quite distinctive, such as a smoked maple stout, a cucumber pale ale, and new to the market for this Christmas will be a vanilla and hazelnut stout while once again they will be producing the popular rhubarb and ginger sour called Walla Walla.
Libby points out that they are always moving in the direction of more automation which is also allowing expansion while also enabling better and more enjoyable and sustainable jobs for their staff.

The Taproom has proven to be very popular with the public and guided tours and events are staged on a regular basis.

By way of example, early next year they hope to have a major new case packer installed. Currently this process is done by hand and is labour and time consuming.
It will also allow them to produce four or eight pack options.
Kinnegar still produces a mixture of 440ml canned and 500ml bottled products, and the decision to have the two options appears to have paid dividends at a time when some producers ceased bottling.

The company’s packaging and logo also plays an important role in its appeal.
The warrens of Kinnegar Bay – where the inspiration came from – form the basis of the brewery logo, and its ‘follow the hops’ theme.
As Libby explains, “the personality of the brewery, and the story and environment and level of authenticity begin with the name.”
The company – priding itself with its farmhouse beers – has grown steadily over the years and when asked what their success is based on Libby responds that it is “striving for excellence and quality.”
Indeed this permeates down through to the workforce. The people who work in the brewery care a lot about what they are doing. Essentially it is a family business.

“We set ourselves a high-bar, we never want to under-deliver,” she states, adding that they want to over-deliver consistent quality.
“We are very proud that we have achieved it,” she says.
Meanwhile, Libby, who is also the President of the Independent Brewers of Ireland (IBI) which represents around 80 firms, is only too well aware of the rising cost of inputs that they have faced in the past few years.

She says that they have “worked very hard at efficiencies” and while there is room for further improvement they have held the line and not increased their prices.
“I think we have been very fair to customers,” she adds.

Some of the range brewed by Kinnegar Brewery

Employment
The brewery currently employs 20 people, with one of the newer members of staff being Matt Davies who was taken on as a new head brewer.
He will be a key figure and take some of the pressure on Libby’s husband, and co-founder of the business, Rick Le Vert, who as well as being a master brewer is also the Chief Executive and in charge of business development.

Tours and food
The decision to host tours of the brewery some years ago has certainly paid off. Typically they last between 45 minutes and an hour and they give people a real insight into the workings of the brewery.
The personal touch and the passion come through on these guided tours, with members of staff, including Libby, taking it in turns.
Visitors get an overview of the brewing process, from raw materials to the brew house, and through fermentation to packaging. The tour also helps guests appreciate the influence that different malts, hops and yeast have on the flavour and general character of individual beers.
For many local people this is a great place to bring visitors to the county, and as Libby observes, they are “on the circuit for things you can do” in Letterkenny.

The K2 Taproom at the front of the premises – located on the road down to the Donegal ETB Training Centre in the Ballyraine area of the town – has a range of their beers on tap, including their TRO (Taproom Only) range.
The brewery is making a bit of a name for itself as a location for eating as well as drinking. Indeed, they have been liaising with local businesses to set up on site, ranging from the Dirty Souls who cook up their traditional American BBQ on a regular weekly basis while the Napoli Express, Pie in the Sky, and Mamma Mia Gelatos are among the others who have set up on occasions.
Meanwhile, they also host a number of seasonal themed events, such as a Summerfest on the August Bank Holiday weekend, and Oktoberfest – no prizes for guessing the month – not to mention music-related events.

Incidentally, Board Game Saturday will be held at the Taproom on Saturday, November 22. It’s a chance to go down memory lane and play some old-style board games. Then on Saturday, November 29 there will be a Sip, Sound and Sustainable style event which will feature a sustainable used clothing switch shop, plus a vinyl records fair.
Add in some drinks and you can see why the appeal is there.

Recently, Keith Corcoran, a Donegal seanchaí was there for a stories and beer evening, and they frequently host the Taproom Sessions with local musicians.
Of course, this has helped them to become even more part of the community, and the opportunity to build up a great rapport with local groups and sports clubs.
“We have meetings here as well, it’s a great amenity to have in a good location,” Libby adds.

Accessories
Another source of income is the range of branded Kinnegar accessories, which are available online or at the brewery.
These range from bottle openers to glasses and metal signs with the Kinnegar logo, t-shirts, and hoodies.
You can also order beer gift packs online.

Article by Chris Ashmore