Luke Nicholas' lucky break

Starting small

Luke Nicholas has always wanted to be his own boss as a brewer, but it hasn't been a straight path. “I started out doing brewing for a local pub called The Cock & Bull, which had only just opened. After a few years, I was overseeing their quality assurance programme, and brewing a specialty beer by the name of Epic."

Taking a chance

About 18 months later, the company decided to focus on its other products and sell the beer brand – and Luke saw his chance. “I bought Epic beer off them, and now produce my beer in the same brewery where they still produce their stuff, and contract back to them. It’s a very small operation, but it's a good option for me – I can focus on what I’m doing while still being my own boss. Plus, I don’t have to worry about the day-to-day running of the brewery."

This arrangement leaves Luke free to organise his time as he pleases. “While my brew sits maturing in the tank for five days after the one day of brewing, I can go off and do different things. At the moment, I’m focusing on beer festivals and tastings. Then I’m taking a week off. It's great that I get to decide what I want to do, and when.”

Getting the word out

"I knew that in the beer business, promoting is key if you want your business to succeed. So I set up a website called Real Beer, a separate website for Epic Beer, as well as a blog, and I use Twitter quite a lot. You'd be surprised how many people tell me they've heard of Epic Beer and the awards I've won through these channels."

Expanding the business

With sales increasing, Luke is expanding his beer range. "I started off with just Epic Pale Ale, then launched Epic Lager, and a third beer is due to hit the market soon. My sales have grown 300 percent in the last two years, and all the effort I put into Epic I get back. This is what I’d always wanted to achieve, so it’s great."

Business challenges

"Of course there are headaches, as with other business. I'm using ingredients from around the world, so getting stuff here in a reasonable amount of time can be a bit of a problem.

"Pricing the beer right is another challenge, especially when the price of ingredients jumps. I spend a lot on my raw materials, and sometimes people go, 'What? Are you crazy?' But my policy is to use the best ingredients – if I taste the beer and it’s not good enough for me, it doesn’t go out.

"Luckily, profits aren’t key for me. Being my own boss – while creating something I love – is what's important. And while I've had a few hard times, my business is still making a bit of profit and I'm still having fun, so I must be doing something right."