Little Brewing Company
8 October 2025
Sector: Food & Beverage
Location: Derby
The Little Brewing Company came to life in March 2020 when the current management team bought the assets and "goodwill" of the then Littleover Brewery.
The re-brand took place in 2022, with Director Matt Willers using his previous experience of running a micropub to take the helm, fully supported by his father and fellow director Nick.
In 2024, the pair invested in new premises – The Tiny Tap – to provide a retail front. At the same time, they invested in additional brewing capacity to commence keg brewing to cater for a wider audience not reached by their cask beers.
The business has since grown to a team of 13 people to include the brewery tap bar staff.
Challenges faced
Competition from the large multinational brewers is fierce since they can offer their products at a much lower price and are able to lock pub groups into supply agreements. Nevertheless, the Little Brewing Company’s growth has been exponential, and despite the investment in additional brewing capacity in 2024, there are already limitations on the range and volume of beers the team can produce.
At the same time, the business had identified the exciting potential of export. It had undertaken research into the countries most receptive to craft beers and were keen to implement these plans as quickly as possible.
Solution – Support Given
East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser, David Smith introduced the business to the support on offer from the EMCCA Export and High Growth Accelerator projects.
With his guidance on applying, the business was able to secure grant funding from the Export Accelerator project to commission the re-design and re-print of its canning labels in readiness for its launch into new export markets. The business was also successful in applying for support from the High Growth Accelerator project to scale-up its brewing capacity and, in turn, the range of beers on offer.
Impact – The Difference it’s Made
The business has been able to use the cash reserves built up for these projects to hire additional staff, as well as invest in energy saving technology.
It has streamlined its production process by adding new tanks that allow it to condition for longer, which in turn has improved the quality of the product.
As a result, brewing capacity has increased by 30,000 litre per annum and products are now ready for the export market, with an initial launch into Norway and Sweden now planned.
“We honestly could not have navigated the grant process without David’s support. The impact it has had on the business has enabled us to push on with high-growth projects that will not only safeguard jobs but allow us to invest in additional people. We are incredibly grateful for his support and for the support of East Midlands Chamber”.
- Matt Willers, Director
