Ale shop to move ahead with new street premises

After less than two years at its current premises local craft beer shop Beervana is set to expand into a new location.

Owner Stuart Fox hopes that by spring or early summer the shop will have moved into new premises further along Commercial Street, in what was formerly the Scottish Hydro Electric shop.

This is on the proviso that an application to the council for a transfer of licence is successful.
Not only will the move give the shop owners more space for their array of beers and spirits but it will also allow them to branch out in terms of stock.

Deli style foods such as cheeses, cured meats and olives are being touted as one of the new directions the business is considering going in, with a potential rebrand on the cards.

A tasting room is also being considered for the rear of the premises, where people will be able to test a range of products. Mr Fox believes there is scope for allowing people to attend themed tasting evenings (beers, whiskys, cheese and wines or gins for example).

Part of the philosophy behind Beervana, Mr Fox explained, was to encourage people “to drink less, but of a higher quality.”

Now the business hopes to couple their craft beers and spirits with fine foods in order to make the shop “more of a complete destination.”

It is Mr Fox’s view that in providing top of the range produce Beervana will continue to offer a high end shopping experience. When the idea for Beervana was first touted Mr Fox felt that the business would have to offer “something different”, focusing on premium products and delivering a high level of customer service.

“We’ve had tremendous feedback from both locals and tourists over the past 18 months, particularly on how we’ve styled the shop and the products stocked. I think people like to see new, fresh ideas on the street.

“During some of those conversations we felt there was an opportunity to expand the business into other areas”, Mr Fox said.

This feedback provided the seed of an idea for the team behind Beervana. After seeing the Hydro shop become available the team decided to expand, with the new premises deemed to be an ideal fit for their ideas.

Mr Fox said: “The key for us was securing the building. It’s a great space with loads of character and I think the whole building has massive potential.”

The team plan to be transferring a lot of the shelving and decor from their current premises. The process of expanding is being planned in phases, with the initial move concentrating solely on bringing existing stock from one shop to the other.

The second phase is where differences will begin to take hold, with the fine foods situated on the ground floor and the alcohol moved onto the mezzanine. The third stage should see the tasting area in the rear of the premises opened, complete with superb views of the harbour and across to Bressay.