UK: Fruit beer challenger launches recruitment drive to expand into new regions

  • 11 March 2022
  • Drinks
Jubel prepares to launch in Manchester and Edinburgh as it hires for a handful of roles, weeks after raising £2.7m
Jubel prepares to launch in new regions Manchester and Edinburgh

Craft beer start-up Jubel has launched a recruitment drive as the brand expands into new UK regions Manchester and Edinburgh.

Hot off a £2.7 million fundraise in December 2021, the fruit lager business is recruiting for a number of field sales roles to expand its brand awareness and build out commercial opportunities in new markets.

“We have had great success by focusing tightly on geographies that hugely over-index on our target consumer, who are urban dwelling, affluent young professionals and have therefore focused our sales teams in London and Bristol, while also maintaining a strong presence in Cornwall for when these consumers holiday in the summer,” Jubel co-founder and CEO Jesse Wilson told Nutrition Investor.

“We have identified Edinburgh and Manchester as the next two key cities for us to focus on in order to continue to build out the brand and reach key new consumers,” he added. 

The company will also increase its marketing efforts by hiring a field marketing manager. to join its 18-strong staff.

Wilson said his short-term focus was on growing the brand domestically, although he said he did foresee huge international potential in the future. 

“We are nowhere near that point right now, so we will continue to pursue an inch-wide and mile-deep strategy,” Wilson said. 

“It sounds great when brands say they’re exporting to 30 plus countries worldwide, but the reality is this is probably only 10% of their revenue, and with a lack of on the ground resources in international markets, these are more likely slow-moving and unsustainable, short-term sales,” he added. 

The brand is available in over 2000 retail distribution points across Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Whole Foods and has just closed a deal with UK online retail leader Ocado.

“Retail only makes up 25% of our business, with the majority coming from on-trade partnerships. We have more than 250 pubs stocking Jubel on draught and a further 250 stocking our cans,” Wilson concluded. 

Jubel recorded a 120% year-on-year increase in sales last year. 

It hired former Budweiser Brewing Group GM Henry Brown as head of marketing in October last year and secured funding from major brewery C&C Group during its latest capital raising round, The Grocer reported in January.