Brewery Insurance
Breweries are specialist manufacturing businesses, often combining beer production with hospitality, retail, tourism, online sales, logistics and exports. From brewing vessels and fermentation tanks to bottled stock, taprooms, tours and delivery vehicles, a brewery can face a wide range of commercial risks.
Whether you operate a craft brewery, microbrewery, brewpub, commercial brewery or visitor brewery, Quote Monkey can help you obtain a quotation that reflects the way your brewery manufactures, stores, transports, sells and promotes its products.
Brewery Insurance
Brewery Insurance is designed for breweries, craft brewers, microbreweries, brewpubs and beer manufacturers. It can help bring together cover for brewing equipment, business contents, stock, buildings, legal liabilities, goods in transit, commercial vehicles, visitor areas, taprooms and interruption to trading.
Breweries may manufacture beer, supply pubs and restaurants, export products, import specialist ingredients, operate taprooms, run bars or restaurants, offer brewery tours, sell directly to the public, sell online, attend beer festivals, operate mobile bars and supply wholesalers.
Quote Monkey can introduce brewery enquiries to an independent specialist commercial insurance broker with access to a wide range of insurers. All cover is subject to insurer acceptance, underwriting criteria, policy terms, conditions and exclusions.
What Is Brewery Insurance?
Brewery Insurance is a specialist commercial insurance solution for businesses involved in producing, packaging, storing, selling or distributing beer. Rather than being a single policy, it is usually a combination of different insurance covers selected to reflect the way the brewery operates.
Depending upon the business, a brewery insurance programme may include Public Liability Insurance, Employers' Liability Insurance, Product Liability Insurance, Manufacturers Insurance, Commercial Combined Insurance, Business Contents Insurance, Business Stock Insurance, Business Interruption Insurance, Commercial Property Insurance, Cyber Insurance, Commercial Vehicle Insurance and Goods in Transit Insurance.
The right insurance discussion should consider brewing operations, production equipment, stock values, public access, staff, deliveries, exports, imports, taprooms, online sales, festivals, visitor attractions and any wider hospitality or retail activities.
Who Needs Brewery Insurance?
Brewery Insurance may be suitable for craft breweries, microbreweries, commercial breweries, independent breweries, brewpubs, contract breweries, farm breweries, regional breweries, artisan breweries, distillery breweries where appropriate, visitor breweries, brewery taprooms and brewery visitor centres.
A small microbrewery supplying local pubs may have very different insurance requirements to a regional brewery distributing nationally, operating its own fleet of vehicles, exporting products overseas or welcoming visitors to a taproom, restaurant and brewery tour.
The insurance arranged should reflect not only the brewing process, but also the products manufactured, the premises occupied, the vehicles operated, the way products are transported, and any hospitality, retail, tourism, online sales or events activity.
Why Brewery Insurance Is Important
Breweries depend upon specialist equipment, consistent production, safe premises, quality control, stock management, transport arrangements and customer trust. A fire, contaminated batch, product recall, fermentation tank failure, delivery vehicle accident or cyber incident can affect production, sales and reputation.
Many breweries also welcome members of the public into taprooms, visitor centres, tasting rooms, shops, restaurants, bars and guided tour areas. This means the insurance discussion may need to consider both manufacturing risks and customer-facing hospitality risks.
Having insurance that accurately reflects the way the brewery operates can help protect the business against many of these risks and support continuity if an insured event affects trading.
Breweries Continue To Evolve
Modern breweries are no longer just production spaces. Many now operate as hospitality venues, retailers, logistics businesses, visitor attractions, event suppliers and online sellers as well as manufacturers.
Breweries may run taprooms, brewpubs, restaurants, cafes, bottle shops, merchandise stores, subscription clubs, direct-to-consumer delivery services, festival bars, tasting events, corporate hospitality and brewery tours.
As a brewery grows or changes direction, its insurance should be reviewed so that cover continues to reflect the way the business trades today rather than how it operated when it first opened.
Looking For Brewery Insurance?
Whether you operate a craft brewery, microbrewery, commercial brewery, brewpub, taproom or beer manufacturing business, Quote Monkey can help you obtain a quotation tailored to your brewery.
Brewery Insurance Cover Considerations
Brewery businesses often need a broad combination of liability, manufacturing, property, contents, stock, transport, legal, cyber and interruption protection. The most appropriate cover will depend upon how the brewery manufactures, stores, transports, sells and promotes its products.
Public Liability Insurance
Public Liability Insurance may help protect your brewery if a customer, visitor or member of the public suffers an injury or their property is damaged in connection with your business activities, subject to the policy wording.
Breweries may welcome customers to taprooms, brewery shops, tasting events, guided tours, visitor centres, open days, beer festivals and corporate events. Public Liability Insurance may be relevant where these public-facing activities take place.
Employers' Liability Insurance
If your brewery employs staff, Employers' Liability Insurance is usually a legal requirement.
Breweries may employ brewers, assistant brewers, cellar staff, packaging operatives, warehouse staff, delivery drivers, engineers, maintenance staff, sales representatives, taproom staff, tour guides and office staff. Employers' Liability Insurance may provide protection if an employee suffers an injury or illness arising from their work.
Product Liability Insurance
Product Liability Insurance is one of the most important covers for many breweries because beer and other beverages are manufactured and consumed by the public.
Product Liability Insurance may help protect the business if cask ale, keg beer, bottled beer, canned beer, craft beer, alcohol free beer, seasonal beers or limited editions result in injury, illness or property damage, subject to the policy wording.
Manufacturers Insurance
Breweries are specialist manufacturing businesses, producing products that must be stored, packaged, transported and supplied safely.
Manufacturers Insurance may help protect the brewing operation, production equipment, stock, premises and liabilities associated with manufacturing beer and other beverages.
Business Contents Insurance
Breweries often invest heavily in specialist production equipment, technology and operational contents.
Business Contents Insurance may help protect brewing vessels, mash tuns, copper kettles, fermentation tanks, conditioning tanks, bright beer tanks, bottling lines, canning lines, kegging equipment, refrigeration, pumps, pipework, laboratory equipment, office equipment, furniture and computers.
Business Stock Insurance
Breweries often hold significant stock throughout the brewing, packaging, storage and dispatch process.
Business Stock Insurance may help protect malt, hops, yeast, grain, brewing ingredients, finished beer, bottles, cans, kegs, casks, packaging and merchandise against insured events depending upon the policy selected.
Business Interruption Insurance
Fire, flooding, equipment failure or another insured event could prevent brewing or force the brewery to close temporarily.
Business Interruption Insurance may help with certain ongoing financial commitments whilst the business recovers and production resumes.
Commercial Property Insurance
Where the brewery owns its premises, Commercial Property Insurance may help protect the buildings against insured damage.
This may include purpose-built breweries, industrial units, converted commercial buildings and historic premises. Commercial Property Insurance should reflect the construction, location and use of the brewery premises.
Commercial Property Owners Insurance
Some brewery owners lease buildings to brewing businesses or own commercial property occupied by breweries.
Commercial Property Owners Insurance may be appropriate where the property owner is responsible for insuring the building or wider commercial site.
Commercial Combined Insurance
Many breweries arrange Commercial Combined Insurance where several different covers are required under one policy.
Commercial Combined Insurance may include buildings, contents, stock, liabilities, business interruption and other commercial insurance depending upon the policy arranged.
Business Legal Expenses Insurance
Breweries can become involved in employment disputes, supplier disagreements, licensing issues, contractual matters or lease disputes.
Business Legal Expenses Insurance may provide access to legal advice and assistance with certain insured legal costs.
Cyber Insurance
Modern breweries increasingly rely upon brewery management software, online ordering, wholesale ordering portals, stock control systems, visitor bookings, payment systems, customer databases and ecommerce websites.
Cyber Insurance may help protect against certain cyber incidents and data breaches, subject to the policy wording.
Terrorism Insurance
Many breweries operate from industrial estates, city centre developments, visitor attractions, hospitality premises or mixed use commercial areas where Terrorism Insurance may be considered alongside property insurance.
Terrorism Insurance may be relevant depending upon the location, premises, exposure and insurer requirements.
Commercial Vehicle Insurance
Many breweries operate commercial vehicles to deliver beer, transport stock or supply pubs, restaurants, wholesalers and retailers.
Commercial Vehicle Insurance should accurately reflect how those vehicles are used, including brewery deliveries and business transport.
Goods In Transit Insurance
Breweries regularly transport beer, kegs, casks, bottles, cans and merchandise between production sites, warehouses, customers and events.
Goods in Transit Insurance may help protect products whilst being transported, depending upon the policy selected.
Heavy Goods Vehicle Insurance
Larger breweries may own or operate lorries to distribute products nationally.
Heavy Goods Vehicle Insurance may be appropriate where brewery owned HGVs are used for larger scale deliveries, wholesale distribution or logistics operations.
Importers Exporters Insurance
Many breweries import specialist ingredients such as hops, malt, yeast, packaging or brewing equipment from overseas, while others export beer to international markets.
Importers Exporters Insurance may be relevant where a brewery imports ingredients or exports finished products.
Brewing Equipment And Stock
Breweries often hold substantial values in production equipment, ingredients, packaged products and branded stock. Insurance values should reflect the cost of repair, replacement, lost stock and interruption to trading following an insured event.
Breweries Can Form Part Of Larger Businesses
Modern breweries often operate far more than production facilities. Many combine manufacturing with hospitality, tourism, retail, visitor experiences and distribution.
Brewpubs And Taprooms
Many breweries operate licensed brewpubs, bars and taprooms where beer is brewed and served from the same premises. These businesses may need to consider Hospitality Insurance, Bar Insurance and Restaurant Insurance where food is served.
Hotels, Visitor Attractions And Food Halls
Breweries may operate inside hotels, holiday parks, visitor attractions, visitor centres, food halls, industrial estates and mixed use developments. Depending upon the setting, Hotel Insurance, Hospitality Insurance and Commercial Combined Insurance may be relevant.
Farm Shops And Brewery Shops
Some breweries operate from working farms, sell through farm shops or run their own brewery shops selling bottled beer, canned beer, gift packs, merchandise and brewing accessories. Farm Shop Insurance and Shop Insurance may be relevant where retail activity forms part of the business.
Manufacturing And Distribution Businesses
Breweries often sit between manufacturing, retail and logistics. Manufacturers Insurance, Goods in Transit Insurance and Commercial Vehicle Insurance can all be relevant where beer is produced and transported to customers.
Typical Brewery Insurance Claims
The following examples show why brewery businesses often need a broad insurance discussion covering people, premises, products, production equipment, stock, technology, vehicles and goods in transit.
Fire In The Brewhouse
An electrical fault causes a fire within the brewhouse, damaging brewing vessels, fermentation tanks and production equipment. Buildings Insurance, Business Contents Insurance and Business Interruption Insurance may all become relevant depending upon the policy selected.
Contaminated Beer Batch
A production issue results in an entire batch of beer becoming contaminated and unsuitable for sale. Product Liability Insurance and Business Stock Insurance may become relevant depending upon the circumstances and policy wording.
Product Recall
A brewery recalls bottled beer after identifying a manufacturing issue affecting product quality. Depending upon the policy arranged, Product Liability Insurance may become relevant.
Visitor Injury During A Brewery Tour
A visitor slips whilst taking part in a guided brewery tour and suffers an injury. Public Liability Insurance may provide protection depending upon the circumstances and policy wording.
Forklift Accident
A forklift damages valuable brewing equipment whilst moving pallets of beer within the warehouse. Depending upon the circumstances, Business Contents Insurance may assist.
Theft Of Alcohol Stock
A break in results in bottled beer, kegs, casks and merchandise being stolen from the brewery. Business Stock Insurance may help subject to the policy wording.
Goods Damaged In Transit
Beer being delivered to pubs and retailers is damaged whilst being transported. Goods In Transit Insurance may provide protection depending upon the policy selected.
Cyber Attack
A cyber incident affects online ordering systems, customer records and brewery management software, preventing orders from being processed. Cyber Insurance may help with certain recovery costs.
Related Industries And Business Models
Modern breweries are far more than manufacturing businesses. Many combine brewing with hospitality, retail, tourism, logistics, property ownership and exports. Depending upon how your brewery operates, the following wider business areas may also be relevant.
Hospitality Businesses
Many breweries operate bars, taprooms, restaurants and cafes alongside their brewing facilities, creating a complete hospitality experience for customers. Hospitality Insurance, Bar Insurance, Restaurant Insurance and Hotel Insurance may be useful related guides.
Manufacturing Businesses
Every brewery is a manufacturing business, producing products that must be stored, packaged, transported and supplied safely. Manufacturers Insurance, Product Liability Insurance and Commercial Combined Insurance may all be relevant.
Distribution And Logistics
Many breweries operate delivery vehicles, distribute products nationally, transport kegs between premises and supply wholesalers, retailers, pubs and restaurants. Commercial Vehicle Insurance, Goods in Transit Insurance, Heavy Goods Vehicle Insurance and Importers Exporters Insurance may be relevant.
Retail Businesses
Many breweries operate retail shops selling bottled beer, canned beer, gift packs, brewing accessories, branded clothing and merchandise directly to customers. Shop Insurance and Product Liability Insurance may be useful related pages.
Tourism And Visitor Attractions
Breweries increasingly attract visitors through guided tours, tasting experiences, brewery museums, visitor centres, beer festivals, corporate hospitality, private events and open days. Hospitality Insurance and Food And Wine Festival Insurance may be relevant guides.
Farm Breweries
Some breweries operate from working farms, producing beer using home-grown barley or locally sourced ingredients whilst welcoming visitors to brewery shops and taprooms. Farm Shop Insurance and Hospitality Insurance may be relevant where rural retail or visitor activity is involved.
Commercial Property
Breweries occupy many different commercial properties, from purpose-built brewing facilities to converted industrial buildings and historic premises. Commercial Property Insurance, Commercial Property Owners Insurance, Converted Mill Insurance and Converted Factory Insurance may be relevant depending upon the premises.
Business Protection
Breweries rely upon expensive production equipment, valuable stock, skilled employees and uninterrupted production. Business Legal Expenses Insurance, Cyber Insurance, Group Personal Accident Insurance and Terrorism Insurance may be useful related pages.
Why Your Brewery Business Model Matters
No two breweries operate in exactly the same way. A small craft brewery supplying local pubs has very different insurance requirements to a regional brewery distributing nationwide, operating its own fleet of vehicles, exporting products overseas or welcoming visitors to a taproom, restaurant or brewery tour.
The insurance required should reflect not only the brewing process, but also the products you manufacture, the premises you occupy, the vehicles you operate, the way your products are transported, any hospitality or retail activities, visitor attractions, online sales, exports and events.
By understanding how your brewery operates, Quote Monkey can help you obtain a quotation that reflects the unique needs of your business and supports your brewery as it continues to grow.
Brewery Insurance FAQs
Brewery Insurance usually combines several different business insurance covers designed for breweries, microbreweries, craft brewers and beer manufacturers. It may include protection for premises, equipment, stock, staff, liabilities, products, vehicles, goods in transit and business interruption.
Yes. Insurance can usually be considered for microbreweries, independent breweries and commercial brewing businesses depending upon their activities, premises, production volume, stock values and public-facing operations.
Yes. Craft breweries can often obtain insurance tailored to their brewing operation, whether they supply local pubs, sell online, operate a taproom, attend festivals or distribute products more widely.
Many brewpubs combine manufacturing with hospitality. The insurance arranged should reflect both the brewing operation and the licensed premises, including staff, customers, food service, alcohol sales and visitor safety.
Yes. Many breweries now operate taprooms, bars and visitor facilities. These activities should be disclosed when arranging insurance so that public access, alcohol service, stock, seating areas and events can be considered.
Product Liability Insurance is often one of the most important covers for breweries because they manufacture and supply products consumed by the public. It may help with claims involving injury, illness, contamination, labelling mistakes or product defects, subject to policy terms.
Many breweries welcome visitors for tours, tastings and events. These activities should be disclosed when arranging insurance, especially where visitors enter working production areas or attend public events.
Many breweries sell bottled beer, canned beer, gift packs, merchandise and other products directly to consumers through shops, taprooms or online. These activities should be reflected when arranging insurance.
Many breweries attend beer festivals, food festivals and public events where additional insurance considerations may apply. This may include public liability, stock, goods in transit, mobile bars, temporary serving areas and event requirements.
Yes. Many breweries export products internationally or import specialist ingredients. Businesses involved in international trade should ensure their insurance reflects these activities, including territories supplied, goods in transit, product liability and contractual arrangements.
Quote Monkey can help you obtain a Brewery Insurance quotation by introducing your enquiry to an independent specialist commercial insurance broker with access to a wide range of insurers.