The Society of Independent Brewers (formerly the Small Independent Brewers Association, or SIBA) is an organization representing the interests of
independent breweries in the
UK. Founded in 1980, it was intended to fight the
pub-tie system, under which large brewers owned 80% of the UK's pubs. It changed its name in 1995 to reflect the changing aspirations of its members, but retained its original acronym.
History
Peter Austin was the prime mover in establishing SIBA, and was the group's first chairman.
Under his leadership, SIBA campaigned for 21 years for a
progressive beer duty system, where smaller breweries would pay less tax on their products, to be introduced in the UK. Such a system was eventually adopted by then-Chancellor
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Tony ...
.
Current status
With growing credibility and campaigning success, SIBA has come to represent the broad spectrum of the UK independent brewing sector. There is no longer a ceiling on membership and SIBA.
In 2010, ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' reported that SIBA members had seen sales rise by 4% in 2009, and smaller members, who brew fewer than 350 barrels per week who constitute the vast majority of SIBA's membership, saw volume sales rise by 8.5%.
SIBA is chaired by
Roy Allkin, the owner of
Boss Brewing Company.
Activities
SIBA aims to ensure that its members' products are of high quality, and membership is conditional upon adhering to the Code of Practice and By-Laws.
SIBA has previously attended the
Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) with a bar showcasing the winners of that year's SIBA National Beer Competition.
In December 2003, SIBA launched the Direct Delivery Scheme (DDS) to help small brewers promote, sell and distribute their beers to local pubs,
pubco
A pub chain is a group of pubs or bars operating under a unified brand image. Pubs within a chain are tied houses and can, generally, only sell products which the chain owner sanctions. Pubs in a chain normally display their chain branding prom ...
s and retailers. The Internet-based system facilitates trade between "micro-suppliers and macro-consumers."
See also
*
Beer in the United Kingdom
Beer in the United Kingdom has a long history, and has quite distinct traditions. Historically the main styles were top-fermented Bitters, Porters, Stouts and Milds, but after World War II lagers took over half the market by volume. The Campaign ...
*
List of microbreweries
This is a list of notable microbreweries. A microbrewery is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer. The qualifications to be classified as a microbrewery vary by country. The term "microbrewery" originated in the United Kingdom in the l ...
References
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.siba.co.uk
Beer in the United Kingdom
Beer organizations
Hospitality industry in the United Kingdom
1980 establishments in the United Kingdom
Organisations based in North Yorkshire
Ripon