This case addresses the success of a particular type of business: a British microbrewery. The case focuses on the decisions made by the business owners, and on how these decisions have helped them to achieve growth and success. They believe their success has been the result of luck; however, there is evidence of good decision making and planning. This case can help students consider the importance of good decision making and forward planning from the early stages of starting a business. The study questions can help them consider the reasons behind decisions, with a view to increasing their understanding of the importance of always thinking about the next stage in business.
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CabrasI.BosworthG. (2014), ‘Embedded models of rural entrepreneurship: The case of pubs in Cumbria, North West of England’, Local Economy, Vol 29, pp 598–616.
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5.
CarrollG.R.SwaminathanA. (2000), ‘Why the microbrewery movement? Organizational dynamics of resource partitioning in the U.S. brewing industry’, American Journal of Sociology, Vol 106, No 3, pp 715–762.
6.
DansonM.GallowayL.CabrasI.BeattyC. (2014), ‘Microbrewing and entrepreneurship: The origins, development and integration of real ale breweries in Britain’, mimeo, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
7.
HunterL.LeanJ. (2014), ‘Investigating the role of entrepreneurial leadership and social capital in SME competitiveness in the food and drink industry’, International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Vol 15, No 3, pp 179–190.
8.
MayeD. (2012), ‘Real ale microbrewing and relations of trust: A commodity chain perspective’, Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Vol 103, pp 473–486.
9.
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10.
SmithR.MoultS.BurgeP.TurnbullA. (2010), ‘Case Study – BrewDog: Business growth for punks!’International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Vol 11, No 2, pp 161–168.
