Lucy Bannister, Living Wage Foundation:
Here at the Living Wage Foundation, we've now got over 3,200 accredited Living Wage Employers who are choosing to go further than the government's minimum, and making sure their staff have a decent quality of life - what better reason for a celebratory drink?
I've been excited to see the number of Living Wage accredited breweries grow and grow and now, when I'm out and about, I can almost always buy a Living Wage beer. In fact, with Signature Brew becoming our 15th accredited brewery, there are so many I'm struggling to sample them all (and believe me I've tried!).
I've been on a roof top in Hackney enjoying a pint of Five Points Brewing Company's Pale Ale, enjoyed a pie and pint of Camden Hells (Camden Town Brewery) in Soho, I can get a bottle of Brixton Effra Ale around the corner from my house, I've swiftly necked a pint of Redemption Brewing's Trinity Light Ale before getting a train in Euston and pretty much every bar and shop I go into seems to stock Punk IPA - Brewdog's flagship IPA.
We've got brewers across the capital paying the London Living Wage including Hackney Brewery, Orbit Brewing and Wild Card.
Dan Lowe - co-founder of Fourpure Brewing Company - told us why paying the Living Wage in London has been key to their success:
"We've recently announced expansion plans which will see us continue our growth in the Bermondsey Trading Estate where we brewed our first batch of beer back in 2013. We've been determined to grow into the city we love, rather than move out of it and as such we're committed to providing our staff with the tools to live in and enjoy London life, supported by a fair living standard."
It's not just London brewers who are choosing to go further, we've got brewers all over the country: Ilkley Brewery in Yorkshire, Stroud Brewery, Tempest Brewing in Galashiels (Scotland), New Lion in Totnes and Lost & Grounded in Bristol. With the craft beer industry growing it is fantastic to see that its proving to be a leading industry in paying the real Living Wage.
All our Living Wage accredited breweries are small or medium enterprises (SMEs) and overall over 80% of our accredited employers are SMEs - proving that not only large businesses can afford to go further. Research by Middlesex University London and the University of Liverpool, funded by the Barrow Cadbury Trust, has shown the clear business case for the Living Wage in small businesses. It found that paying the Living Wage lead to companies experiencing fewer employee disputes, an increase in productivity and a rise in staff motivation. 72% of respondents said they saw a positive effect on their brand reputation after paying the Living Wage.
Sam McMeekin, co-founder of Gipsy Hill Brewing Company, told us why paying the Living Wage is essential to their business:
"It's so important for us, a business that pours so much love and attention into our products, that we show that same standard of respect to our employees. Living wage is an obvious step for us to take to tell, first of all, our employees that we care about their welfare, and second to the public, that making good beer runs deeper than good ingredients and equipment. It's a complete approach to brewing, where every single person and step in the process leaves a positive footprint on the product."
If you'd like to sample some Living Wage beer, look out for one of our brewers:
- The Five Points Brewery
- Camden Town Brewery
- Hackney Brewery Ltd
- Wild Card Brewery
- New Lion Brewery
- Ilkley Brewery
- Fourpure Limited
- Stroud Brewery
- Brixton Brewery
- Lost & Grounded Brewers Ltd
- Tempest Brewing Co Ltd
- Signature Brew Ltd
- Redemption Brewing
- Orbit Brewing
- The Gipsy Hill Brewing Company Ltd
