Sour beer lover’s hobby-turned-brewery set for record – Daily Business

An Edinburgh brewery, that began as a hobby for its co-founder, is expecting a record year of production for its fruit-flavoured beers.

A lover of sour beer, Steven Smith-Hay began reading about fermentation while working in IT and then began brewing his own batches in his two-bedroom flat in Edinburgh.

Vault City is now a multi-million pound business, supplying more than 5,000 supermarkets across the UK and exporting to 26 countries.

The brewery uses more than 200,000kg of Scottish strawberries, raspberries and other fruits every year, supported by a network of local suppliers.

It has also continued to expand its range, releasing at least three beers every fortnight. Among its most distinctive creations is 999 GL, which contains the legal maximum fruit content permitted in a beer at 999 grams per litre.

The brewery recently received a prestigious three-star award at the Great Taste Awards for its Raspberry Sour.

Mr Smith-Hay said: “We’ve seen a real shift in customers wanting more fruit flavours in their drinks, and that goes well beyond beer.

“They increasingly want products made with real fruit because they value the authenticity behind those flavours, and that’s something we’ve doubled down on.

“It’s an exciting time for Vault City as we edge closer to a decade in business.”