Case Study – SALT

Ninkasi Rentals and Finance have just helped SALT complete their new tank farm project. SALT (who are part of the Ossett Brewery Group) are currently in high demand among their customer base, and several large orders have meant that they needed in increase their production capacity swiftly and cost effectively.

SALT approached Ninkasi for a financially viable solution to increase their production capacity with minimal capital outlay while still having the ability to determine how they wish to handle any future transactions with Ninkasi. This meant that Ninkasi provided the upfront capital for the project while SALT received the tanks that they required to their exact specification.

Dr. Nadir Zairi, Managing Director at SALT said:

“It was a pleasure to work with Ninkasi on this project for our business. SALT is always looking to work with professional and supportive suppliers and found that the ethos and customer service within Ninkasi really matched our own.

We are currently going through a significant growth phase and as such needed to increase our capacity, with the current economic climate and uncertainty in the market we felt that a rental solution provided the best possible capital advantages while also protecting the business from any unknown market forces which could impact and would be beyond our control.

We are very happy with our choice and the service and value provided by Ninaksi”.

James Lewis, Managing Director at Ninkasi Rentals said:

“The tank farm project at Salt has been smooth sailing since day one. The vision that Nadir and his team have for the business is very clear and having known the business for many years, providing the capital for their expansion was something that we were always happy to support.

We have found that many of our customers have moved into expanded small pack production during the recent pandemic, and as such Ninkasi have been able to provide additional tank capacity for them quickly and at a time to really help their business thrive in uncertain times. The flexibility of our rental offering is also very attractive to our customers during these uncertain times as it allows customers to grow with demand, but not necessarily risk the upfront capital of outright purchase.

The 9 x 60hl tank farm at Salt is representative of how we can work alongside a customer to ensure that their ambition and ability to meet their customer demand is done both cost effectively and smoothly”.

CASE STUDY – Bristol Distilling Co

Bristol Distillery choose Ninkasi Tanks

Founded in early 2017 Bristol Distilling Co was created with the intention to set itself apart from an industry bloated with ‘on-topic’ acronyms and hyperbole created by a team of marketers in fancy offices. Bristol Distilling Co wanted to show from the drinks it creates, to the way it thinks and how it expresses itself – they were a different type of company.

In 2018 the distillery was borne using a 500L copper pot still custom built for the business in Nebraska. The first gin ‘77’ was bottled in May 2018 and was quickly awarded in the International Wine and Sprits competition, followed up by another award in the same competition in 2020 for the 77 Black, a cold brew coffee and vanilla liqueur.

Refusing to accept conventional wisdom that large retailer listings can only come after years of slow and painful growth, the business now has contracts with Europe’s largest grocer.

With the business continuing to support and grow locally as well as through retail, expansion and strategy became more and more prevalent to the business leaders. The directors of the company wanted to bring more of the production in house, however recognised that growing the business through traditional methods was both capital intensive and slow.

So Bristol Distilling Co. reached out to Ninkasi rentals, and started to rent Fermentation Tanks to allow for their kegged Gin and Tonic to be blended under their expert tutelage.

From then it has been a match made in heaven with Ninkasi able to provide the equipment and support which allows Bristol Distilling Co. the room to grow organically without the worry of capital being tied up in assets which don’t drive a return.

What Bristol Distilling Say:

“Excellent service from the team at Ninkasi. They were able to understand our needs, support us through the decision-making process, no hard sell, no hassle, just an honest company trying to help another. When the tank arrived they had it installed where we wanted it, no mess, no fuss – just great service – and then when we noticed a small leak on one of the valves, they were down the next day and sorted everything out. We judge businesses on the way they are after a sale not before it, and Ninkasi have been great to us. We are also a small company with big ambitions and I think that entrepreneurial attitude and willingness to support and help your customers shines through everything that Ninkasi does – all, in all, very very happy to recommend them and their service to anyone out there that is thinking of tanks for their business.”

Jake Black – Director – Bristol Distilling Co.

“As Jake says the guys at Ninkasi have just been great, they always respond when you ask a question and when we needed support during the Covid pandemic, they didn’t hesitate. They are easy to talk if you have a question on invoicing or something similar – but to be honest the best thing about them is that you don’t even know that they are there. They don’t constantly email you or push like other companies, they just sit in the background, and if we need them, they are always there to help.”

Clare Neath – Director – Bristol Distilling Co.

 

 

Case Study – Big Smoke Brew Co.

Big Smoke Brew Co are a true Craft brewery, founded in the back of a pub (The Antelope) in Surbiton. Rich and James had the vision and belief to create something extraordinary, but needed additional capacity to continue to grow the business, this is their story;

Firstly, Rich and James needed a Head Brewer, Nick was literally stopped on the tarmac before boarding a flight back to New Zealand (think any good Rom/Com), and the rest of the team soon followed. Together they all started creating not only amazing beers but a loyal and dedicated customer base – growth followed swiftly and sizeably.

To meet demand the team at Big Smoke decided to contract brew two of their beers, however they knew that what they really wanted was a bigger brewery. In December 2018 they took delivery of a new 30HL kit, increasing capacity four-fold, and allowing them to bring all of the control and functionality back in house. Importantly for the team at Big Smoke, it enabled much more control of the process and they were able to achieve greater consistency across their range.

Big Smoke soon found themselves in the enviable position whereby they had grown exponentially in a short space of time and were running out of capacity again for their core range. Recognising the quality control, they had when they brewed the beer inhouse, they needed to find a solution which increased capacity, while at the same time protecting their cash flow and capital reserves.

They spoke to Ninkasi, who agreed to purchase Uni Tanks for them and install them into their brewery. Big Smoke agreed to rent the tanks while they decided their next growth phase.  The team at Big Smoke loved the Ninkasi experience, not only was the service professional but they could brew into the vessels within 24hrs from completed delivery.

Watch the video below to hear their thoughts on working with Ninkasi