SIBA re-jigs full membership structure

Marston's, Fullers and Shepherd Neame have been excluded from full membership of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) following the introduction of a 200,000 hectolitre threshold.

The three excluded brewers and other larger brewers will be welcomed as associate members, enabling them to engage with SIBA members but they will not have voting rights.

The motion to limit full membership to brewers who produce less than 200,000 hectolitres was passed at SIBA's AGM yesterday.

The new threshold aligns SIBA membership with the European defiinition of a smaller brewer.

"The upper limit is not about excluding larger brewers from engaging from SIBA, indeed I am confident that now we have clearly defined their role, more of them will be keen to join us as associates," said SIBA chief executive Julian Grocock.

"We have many goals in common and I look forward to working together with them and other industry partners in pursuit of a better future for British beer."

SIBA also introduced a members' charter and new members will have to serve 12 months as associate members before being granted full status.

Grocok added: "This is without doubt a milestone moment for SIBA, in that we have, for the first time in our 29-year history, a clear and documented statement on what it means to be a SIBA member. With this issue resolved, we are now in better shape to really start making progress on our stated ambition to help smaller brewers bring their beers to market."