Most Real Ale lovers would say you can’t put a price on insuring one of Shropshire’s best-loved bitters – Shropshire Lad.
But even vats of beer need a bit of financial care when it comes to the insurance world.
Wood’s Shropshire Beers, based in Wistanstow, Craven Arms, has signed a new deal with Shrewsbury-based independent commercial broker Beaumont Lawrence & Co Ltd to cover its insurance.
The brewery will celebrate 33 years this month and is best known for its award-winning Parish Bitter, best selling Shropshire Lad and his blonde partner Shropshire Lass.
Ben Lawrence, Beaumont Lawrence managing director, said: “We’re Shropshire lads running a Shropshire company so what better way than to start working with a local brewery company?
“We are very focused on the local community and we are a community broker and enjoy working with clients of all shapes and sizes.”
Mr Lawrence said the firm came up with a new insurance deal for Wood’s Shropshire Beers and their pub, The Plough Inn, which is next door to the brewery.
He said: “It’s not often we insure a barrel of beer but we’ve also insured for employee, product, and public liability as well as engineering insurance and maintenance of the brewing equipment. We are also covering the firm for fleet insurance.
“It’s great to work with a local company, producing local products for Shropshire.
“We want money to be spent in this county and stay in our county to help the economy of Shropshire. We are Shropshire’s broker.
“I wouldn’t say we didn’t clinch the deal without a little taste of Shropshire Lad,” Mr Lawrence said.
Edward Wood, Managing Director of Wood’s Shropshire Beers, said he had looked at number of different insurance brokers but found Beaumont Lawrence offered the best package.
“They were very diligent in their handling of our needs.
“We are always keen to deal with local companies where possible.
“One of the reasons for moving from our previous insurers was the fact they were centralizing their operation and we felt we were not been looked after as locally as before,” he said.