Round Corner Brewing rapidly builds 250 customers for milkman-style beer drops

Like many food and drink businesses, Melton Mowbray’s Round Corner Brewing has had to show agility and determination to keep trading during the coronavirus crisis.


The brewery, just over a year old, had relied on pubs and its own taproom for most sales. However, those two revenue streams disappeared overnight. So, it is temporarily focusing on beer delivery (and, more recently, collection from the taproom). Each week the team fill their ‘growlers’ (glass bottles that hold 3.2 pints of beer) and deliver to doorsteps around the region.

On April 19, Round Corner passed 250 customers for its milkman-style beer drops – a fantastic achievement in such a short time.

Co-founder Combie Cryan said: “It started with ten people in Stamford [Lincolnshire] on Friday, March 20, and 14 people in Melton Mowbray [Leicestershire] on Saturday, March 21. Friday 27th was when it really took off and it hasn’t stopped since.”

“We’ve ordered many more growlers from Kansas in the US and are now focusing on new areas such as Grantham and Oakham. We’re also now running socially-distanced weekend collections from our taproom at Melton Mowbray Cattle Market.

“More than just bare numbers, we are thrilled with the reordering rate and satisfaction levels.”

Round Corner’s Dan McGee fills another growler

He continued: “We’ve done all of this with a skeleton staff and we’ll have to continue that for the foreseeable as it’s the only way to make this sustainable. All we ever get is support and encouragement to keep going.”

Round Corner’s delivery service currently covers Melton Mowbray and surrounds, plus Stamford and Oakham. However, the team are looking at new areas, so if you are interested but don’t live in those places, drop them a line. Friday is the main delivery day for all locations. For more details and to order your delivery, click here.

The queueing area for Round Corner’s socially distanced beer collections from its taproom at Melton Mowbray Cattle Market
The author:

Matt lives in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. He is passionate about the independent food & drink sector and founded Great Food Club in 2010 after being inspired by local producers near his home town.