Abstract

The growth in microbreweries in recent years has been well supported by a range of policies but the impact of these investments for local economies remains under-researched. In particular, the return on investment for such policy initiatives will be assessed against rural development and micro-business policy objectives. The intended outcomes can be varied and complex and may include farm diversification, training and job creation, the preservation of listed buildings and the enhancement of rural tourism in addition to the growth of the rural economy.
This paper takes evidence from a sample of businesses that have received funding and a control sample that have made their own investments to compare the impacts for both the business itself and the wider local economy. The findings from the interviews are compared against stated policy aims and wider costs and benefits associated with market interventions are also to be considered.
The research findings highlight the positive features of microbreweries in their local economies allowing us to better understand the link between the nature of funding and local socio-economic outcomes. Such findings will have value to other sectors as well as helping to provide evidence for the microbrewery sector to better demonstrate their contribution to local development objectives.