Caledonia Best Reveals Successful Seed Fund Projects
Leading Scottish ale Caledonia Best has unveiled the exciting mix of projects being backed by its Seed Fund initiative, which aims to support fledgling businesses in brewing and farming in Scotland.
The Caledonia Best Seed Fund has awarded seven applicants financial support necessary to get their projects off the ground, with grants ranging from £5,000 to £13,000. The successful proposals cover a diverse range of innovative businesses in both industries: from a young graduate building her own goat meat company, to a brewer introducing naturally foraged produce into a collection of new beers and an entrepreneur who plans to mill a new range of Scottish flour on the farm she works on with her husband.
Marking the first anniversary since the launch of Tennent Caledonian’s new ale, the Seed Fund has seen Caledonia Best generate £58,000 to support innovative projects which may not have otherwise been able to happen – raised through a 5p donation in every pint sold in the first six months of the year.
The application process opened in June 2012, and Caledonia Best has worked closely with partners from National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) andHeriot-WattUniversity’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) to decide which of the applicants should be awarded funding.
“When Caledonia Best launched in October 2011, as well as sourcing 100 per cent of our barley from Scottish farmers, we issued a pledge to donate 5 pence from every pint sold in the first six months of sale to support the industries at our heart – farming and brewing,” explains Paul Condron, marketing director of Tennent Caledonian Breweries. “Everyone needs a helping hand when they start in business, and as one ofScotland’s oldest businesses and most experienced brewers, it’s hugely rewarding to be giving back at grass roots level through the Seed Fund.”
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Anna Thomson will use the support offered from the Seed Fund to launch a range of Scottish flour, which she will mill on the farm she works on with her husband – something she has planned for years, but could only be made a reality after receiving support from Caledonia Best’s initiative.
