Breweries & Brewing Equipment Finance — Gable Asset Finance (UK)
Gable Asset Finance — Helping UK Breweries Grow, Upgrade and Scale
At Gable Asset Finance we specialise in delivering practical, cost-effective finance solutions tailored to the needs of the UK brewing sector — from microbreweries and taprooms to regional craft brewers and contract brewers. Brewing is both capital and equipment intensive: kettles, fermenters, heat exchangers, canning lines, cold stores and wastewater systems are essential but expensive. Our role is to help your business acquire the equipment you need now, while spreading the cost over time so you can preserve working capital and invest in growth.
What is equipment finance for breweries?
Equipment finance for breweries allows businesses to manage cash flow effectively by providing access to essential brewing equipment upfront while spreading the cost over a set term. Whether you’re launching a startup brewery, expanding capacity, adding a canning line, or upgrading your cellar equipment, finance means you don’t have to pay the full purchase price immediately. Instead, you repay the cost over months or years through an agreed finance structure that suits your seasonality and cash flows.
Why breweries use equipment finance
- Preserve working capital: Keep funds available for raw materials, staff and marketing rather than tying cash into fixed assets.
- Scale quickly: Add fermentation capacity, packaging lines or storage to meet demand without delay.
- Maintain competitive edge: Invest in new tech (energy-efficient boilers, automated CIP systems, canning machines) to improve margins and product quality.
- Match cost to revenue: Repay equipment over the period it generates income — smoothing seasonal variability.
- Tax and accounting: Certain finance solutions can provide tax benefits or better balance sheet treatment (seek your accountant’s advice).
- Flexibility: Leasing and upgrade options let you keep pace with innovation in brewing technology.
Typical brewery assets we finance
We can structure finance for almost every asset involved in modern brewing operations — from core brewing vessels to retail fit-out and sustainability projects. Typical financed equipment includes:
- Brew House Equipment: Mash tuns, lauter tuns, kettles, whirlpools, heat exchangers and pumps.
- Fermentation & Cellaring: Stainless steel fermenters, conditioning tanks, unitanks, bright beer tanks and glycol chillers.
- Packaging & Filling: Canning and bottling lines, labelling machines, case packers, capper/closers and depalletisers.
- Cold Storage: Walk-in cold rooms, blast chillers, refrigerated racking and display chillers for retail spaces.
- Cleaning & Sanitation: CIP (clean in place) systems, chemical dosing units and wash stations.
- Utilities & Process: Boilers, water treatment, softeners, deaerators, compressed air and steam systems.
- Laboratory & QA: Micro labs, spectrophotometers, pH and acidity analysers, and quality testing rigs.
- Packaging Materials & Ancillaries: Kegs, casks, pallets, shrinkwrap, caps and labeling materials.
- Retail & Taproom Fit-Out: Bar equipment, draught lines, glassware, point-of-sale screens and fixtures.
- Logistics & Handling: Forklifts, pallet trucks, racking and transport vehicles.
- Sustainability Upgrades: Anaerobic digestion, solar PV, heat recovery systems and energy-efficient chillers.
- IT & Software: Brewery management software, ERP modules, inventory and recipe management systems.
Which types of breweries benefit from finance?
Equipment finance is relevant across the spectrum of brewing enterprises:
- Microbreweries & Nanobreweries — finance starter kits, pilot systems, kegging and small-scale canning equipment to grow output.
- Craft & Independent Brewers — add fermentation capacity, install packaging lines, or refurbish taprooms to support brand growth.
- Regional & Contract Brewers — expand production, invest in quality control labs or acquire logistics assets to serve larger customers.
- Brewpubs & Taprooms — finance tap systems, refrigeration, and customer experience assets without heavy capital outlay.
- Commercial Breweries — large-scale brewhouses, automation, and sustainability projects to improve margins and compliance.
Common finance products for breweries
We work with a broad panel of lenders and offer a range of finance structures to suit different goals and accounting preferences:
1. Hire Purchase (HP)
With hire purchase you pay monthly over an agreed term and own the equipment at the end of the agreement. HP is straightforward to understand and is often used for assets with long service lives, such as stainless steel tanks and boilers.
2. Finance Lease
Finance leases spread most of the equipment cost across the asset’s useful life. At the end of the term, depending on the structure, you may have options to purchase the asset, extend the lease or return it. Finance leases can be suitable for mid-life assets where ownership transfer is anticipated.
3. Operating Lease
Operating leases are hire-for-use agreements where the asset remains on the lender’s balance sheet. These are attractive when breweries prefer flexibility — for example, to upgrade canning lines frequently as speed and format change.
4. Sale & Leaseback
If you already own key equipment, sale and leaseback lets you sell the asset to a funder and lease it back, releasing capital while retaining use of the equipment. This is an effective way to free up funds for expansion or operating expenses.
5. Asset Refinance
Refinance existing equipment or loan balances to secure better terms or consolidate multiple facilities under a single, more manageable repayment structure.
6. Commercial Loans
Term loans or working capital loans for one-off capital projects, premises improvements, or to bridge gaps in cash flow during seasonal fluctuations.
7. Asset-backed Lending / Invoice Finance
Invoice factoring or discounting can help breweries manage receivables, particularly if supplying larger distribution customers with extended payment terms. Asset-backed facilities can also be structured against kegs or casks.
8. VAT Funding
VAT funding helps smooth the cash flow impact of VAT on capital purchases, letting you spread the VAT element into repayments rather than paying a large VAT bill upfront.
9. Green & Sustainability Financing
Specialist funds and lenders offer attractive terms for sustainability projects — solar arrays, anaerobic digesters, energy-efficient chillers — reflecting long-term cost savings and carbon benefits.
How to choose the right finance product
Choosing the correct structure depends on multiple factors. Consider the following:
- Ownership Intent: Do you want to own the asset at the end? Hire purchase and some finance leases provide ownership options.
- Asset Lifespan: Durable assets (stainless tanks, boilers) can be financed over longer terms; short-life tech (electrical control systems, packaging equipment) may be better on shorter leases.
- Tax Position & Accounting: Tax and balance-sheet treatment differ between HP, finance leases and operating leases — speak to your accountant for the optimal choice.
- Cash Flow & Seasonality: Align repayments to seasonal revenue cycles; consider seasonal or stepped payment structures for bottleneck months.
- Upgrade Flexibility: If technology refresh is likely within a few years, an operating lease might offer the most flexibility to upgrade.
- Collateral & Security: Understand what security a lender requires; asset finance often uses the equipment itself as collateral.
The brewery equipment finance process (simple & practical)
- Initial conversation: Tell us about your project — whether it’s a new brewhouse, extra fermenters, a canning line or a taproom revamp.
- Information gathering: We’ll ask for supplier quotes, equipment specifications, company details and accounting records (or management accounts for newer businesses).
- Proposal & structuring: We’ll propose finance structures, terms, expected repayments, and potential tax implications (indicative).
- Submission to lenders: We submit applications to selected lenders from our panel — this gets you the best rates and fastest decision.
- Approval & documentation: Once a lender conditionally approves the application, documentation is completed and signed (often digitally).
- Delivery & payment: Supplier invoices are paid and the equipment is delivered/installed as planned.
- Aftercare: We provide support throughout the term and can help restructure or add new assets as your needs evolve.
What lenders look for
While requirements vary by lender, common underwriting considerations include:
- Trading history and accounts: Lenders prefer established trading history; for newer businesses, management accounts and clear business plans help.
- Cash flow projections: Demonstrated ability to meet repayments is essential; seasonality should be clearly modelled.
- Supplier & equipment details: Quotes, installation plans and expected delivery lead times.
- Security: The equipment often acts as primary security; some lenders may request director guarantees for smaller businesses.
- Debtor concentration: If significant revenue comes from a few large customers, lenders will assess the counterparty risk.
- Business structure & capacity: Licence, planning permission for premises, environmental consents where relevant (wastewater, emissions).
Case studies — illustrative examples
Below are representative scenarios showing how finance can support brewery growth. These are fictionalised but typical of outcomes we arrange:
Case study 1 — Microbrewery expansion
Situation: A 5-barrel microbrewery with strong local demand wants to increase to a 15-barrel brewhouse and add three unitanks. The owner has limited cash but secured new taproom contracts.
Solution: Hire purchase over 5 years for the brewhouse and tank package, plus an invoice finance facility to manage invoicing gaps with new taproom clients.
Outcome: Production triples, local accounts are met, cash flow smooths and the business scales without diluting ownership.
Case study 2 — Craft brewer & packaging automation
Situation: A rapidly growing craft brewer needs to install a semi-automatic canning line to fulfil supermarket orders; the one-off cost is significant.
Solution: Operating lease for the canning line with maintenance included, preserving capital for raw materials and staffing.
Outcome: The brewer meets retailer demand, avoids major capex, and benefits from a fully-maintained machine that can be upgraded as can formats change.
Case study 3 — Sustainability investment for energy savings
Situation: An established regional brewery wants to install heat recovery systems, an anaerobic digester and solar PV to reduce power and effluent costs over time.
Solution: Green finance package with favourable terms for sustainability projects, combining asset finance and a sale-and-leaseback for existing boilers to release funds.
Outcome: Reduced energy bills, improved ESG credentials, and an attractive investment case for wholesalers and partners.
Tax and accounting considerations (overview — seek professional advice)
Financial structuring and tax treatment vary by product and business circumstances. Below are high-level points commonly discussed with accountants and tax advisors:
- Capital allowances & depreciation: Ownership structures such as hire purchase may allow capital allowances on qualifying equipment.
- Operating leases & balance sheet: Operating leases may be off-balance-sheet for some entities, but accounting standards have changed — always check current rules with your advisor.
- VAT treatment: VAT on equipment is usually payable on purchase; VAT funding can spread this cost. VAT treatment of lease rentals can differ.
- Interest deductibility: Interest on finance can be tax-deductible where it relates to business activity — confirm with your accountant.
- Grant interactions: If you receive grants (e.g., for sustainability), check lender policies — grants can affect security or loan-to-value calculations.
Sustainability & green brewing finance
Energy use and water/waste treatment are major operational costs for breweries. There is growing availability of finance specifically for low-carbon and sustainable equipment:
- Renewable energy: Solar PV and battery systems to reduce grid reliance.
- Heat recovery: Capture process heat for reuse in the brew cycle.
- Water treatment/AD: Anaerobic digesters to produce energy from brewery effluent.
- Energy-efficient chillers & boilers: Lower running costs and long-term savings.
Specialist lenders and green funds may provide better pricing or longer terms for such projects, reflecting projected operational savings and environmental benefits.
Tips for successful equipment finance applications
- Detailed quotes: Provide clear supplier quotations, include installation, delivery and commissioning costs.
- Cash flow modelling: Prepare realistic cash flow projections showing seasonal peaks/troughs and how repayments will be met.
- Clear purpose: Explain how the asset will increase revenue, reduce costs, or unlock new contracts (e.g., supermarket listings).
- Operational readiness: Show premises plans, permissions and staff capacity to operate new equipment.
- Warranty & maintenance: Prefer equipment with good warranties or maintenance options — lenders like low-risk assets.
- Be transparent: Provide supplier lead times, any existing finance agreements and any material contractual obligations.
Common questions from brewery owners
Can start-up breweries get finance?
Yes. Start-ups can access finance but may need to provide a stronger business plan, projected cash flows, and sometimes director guarantees or initial deposits. We work with lenders who specialise in early-stage hospitality and brewing finance.
How quickly can finance be arranged?
Timelines vary. Simple equipment deals can be approved within days once information is complete; larger projects or property-linked finance can take several weeks. We focus on speed and clarity to minimise project delays.
Will lenders demand personal guarantees?
Some lenders may request personal guarantees, particularly for small companies or where credit history is limited. We always negotiate to achieve the most lender-friendly terms possible.
Can we include installation and commissioning in the finance?
Yes. Many finance structures can include soft costs such as installation, commissioning, training and initial spares — this means the whole project can be financed, avoiding separate invoices.
What if we want to upgrade equipment before the lease ends?
Some operating leases and vendor finance programmes offer upgrade paths or mid-term swaps. Where upgrades are likely, structuring shorter operating lease terms or scalable solutions is recommended.
Working with suppliers & integrators
We have strong relationships with brewery equipment suppliers, engineering firms and integrators. We can:
- Work directly with suppliers to expedite payment on completion.
- Provide vendor finance programmes to support supplier bids and close orders faster.
- Structure phased drawdowns for multi-stage installations (e.g., brewhouse delivered first, packaging later).
Why choose Gable Asset Finance for brewery equipment?
We combine sector-specific knowledge with access to a wide panel of lenders, enabling us to deliver practical funding quickly. Our advantages:
- Brewing sector expertise: We understand production processes, lead times and regulatory considerations for breweries.
- Competitive pricing: We negotiate with lenders to secure attractive rates and flexible terms.
- Fast process: Clear communication, digital documentation and efficient underwriting reduces delays.
- End-to-end support: From initial needs assessment to aftercare and refinancing conversations years later.
- Trusted partnerships: We work closely with equipment vendors and consultants to keep projects on track.
Checklist — information we usually need to start
- Company registration information and trading address
- Latest company accounts or management accounts (if recently trading)
- Director details (names, addresses, professional history)
- Supplier quotes or proforma invoices including installation costs
- Project timeline and expected delivery dates
- Any existing finance agreements or liabilities
- Business plan or purpose of the asset (how it will generate income or savings)
- Environmental permits or planning consents if relevant (e.g., wastewater solutions)
Long-term planning — financing with growth in mind
Finance should be viewed as a tool for growth. When planning a financing strategy consider:
- Scalability: Can your finance structure scale as you add sites or production lines?
- Refinancing options: Could refinancing unlock better rates later as your business grows?
- Lifecycle costs: Look beyond capex — consider maintenance, spares and downtime costs.
- Exit strategies: If you plan to sell or merge, how does owning vs leasing equipment affect valuation?
Regulatory & environmental considerations
Brewing involves environmental and regulatory factors that lenders assess:
- Wastewater & effluent: Systems that reduce environmental impact are favourable to lenders and may be required by local authorities.
- Emissions & permits: Boilers, fuel usage and emissions need to meet regulations and may require permits.
- Health & safety: Safe installation, storage and handling of chemicals (cleaning agents) and working at height compliance.
Frequently overlooked financing opportunities
Many breweries miss funding opportunities that can materially improve cash flow and returns:
- Packaging capital as part of a price negotiation: Suppliers can sometimes offer bundled packages including finance, spare parts and training.
- Green funding: Lower-cost finance may be available for energy-saving projects that reduce operating costs long-term.
- Sale & leaseback: Turning existing owned assets into working capital can fund rapid expansion.
- Phased rollouts: Finance can be staggered to match retail or distribution contracts to avoid over-capacity.
Next steps — getting started
If you’re planning an equipment purchase, expansion or sustainability upgrade, Gable Asset Finance will:
- Discuss your project and timescales in an initial free consultation.
- Review supplier quotes and advise on the most suitable finance product.
- Prepare a tailored finance proposal with competitive lender options.
- Work with your suppliers and accountants to complete documentation smoothly.
- Support you through delivery and beyond with flexible aftercare.
Contact Gable Asset Finance
Ready to explore brewery equipment finance? Contact our specialist brewing finance team for a confidential discussion. We’ll assess your needs, explain options and help you take the next step towards expanding production, upgrading equipment or funding sustainability projects — all with finance tailored to the realities of brewing.
Gable Asset Finance
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Gable Asset Finance — Financing the future of UK brewing: practical, competitive and expert support for breweries of every size.
Gable Asset Finance can help arrange finance for pub breweries, micro breweries, regional breweries, family brewers and macro breweries in the UK.
Gable Asset Finance can arrange lease finance for all of the processing aids businesses need as well as laboratory and technical.
We are on hand to provide advice on marketing, sales, business plans and costs. We can also recommend customers to suitable sources to receive information on utility requirements, legal permissions, site suitability and layout.
Typical brewery equipment
- Hot liquor (water) tank fully insulated and clad in decorative and practical varnished timber.
- Permanent digital temperature display.
- Infusion style mash tun insulated and clad in decorative varnished timber and underback
- Copper (boiling kettle) insulated and clad in decorative varnished timber
- stainless steel plate heat exchanger with wall brackets
- Fermenting vessels
- Stainless steel hygienic transfer pumps
- All associated valves, pipes, and fittings
- Hop filter
- Automatic underback and valentine
- Clean in Place (CIP) system for the fermenting vessel – copper – heat exchanger ‘loop’
- Cooling panels on stainless steel fermenting vessels for the addition of cooling water.
- Small tools, instruments and fermenting vessel heater
- Temperature probe pockets