New specialist beer store offering refillable '˜growler' service opens in Northampton

Beer Guerrilla is the brainchild of husband and wife team Matthew and Cherie Boot and will be supplied by local independent breweries along with prominent UK craft brewers.

The store is the first in the area to focus on selling ‘growlers’, a US takeaway beer concept which allows customers to purchase for a small fee a recyclable one or two litre bottle which is filled directly from an in-store draft beer dispense system which keeps beer keg fresh for up to six weeks.

Customers can return to the store at 227 Wellingborough Road to have their ‘growler’ re-filled from an ever changing beer selection.

In addition, the store has a small ‘tasting area’ where customers can sample some of the beers on offer.

Matthew and Cherie also plan to host beer tasting evenings and to introduce a subscription-based Beer Club which will see customers receive a crate of 12 quality craft beers on a monthly basis.

Beer Guerrilla has been partially funded by the financial support of Yorkshire Bank and funds have been used to support the initial set-up of the business as well as the purchase of stock, fixtures, fittings and fridges for the property.

The couple are also investing their own equity in the business and have secured grant funding from Northampton Council’s redevelopment scheme.

Mr Boot said: “This is the first store of its kind in the Northampton area and all the research we’ve done tells us that there is huge potential in the town for the concept.

“The annual Northampton Beer Festival regularly attracts more than 8,000 visitors and we believe there is a great opportunity to establish a real community amongst the people interested in beer locally. Consumers are becoming very discerning not just about the quality of the product itself, but increasingly about the stories and values behind the beer they’re drinking.

“There are great new beers being launched all the time and our aim is to create a hub for quality beer in Northampton and establish a business that the area can be really proud of.”