Edinburgh sour beer producer Vault City expects turnover to reach £10 million within the next two years, as it reports continued growth in UK retail and overseas markets.
The brewer said sales were up 38% year on year between April and December, with export revenues rising 62%. Vault City now trades in 26 countries, with export growth led by the Nordics and France.
In the UK, the business supplies more than 5,000 supermarkets through listings with Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose. It also reported 50% year-on-year distribution growth. Vault City said Untappd data placed it as the highest-rated brewery in UK retail, with the top two highest-rated beers nationally.
The update comes against a tougher backdrop for independent brewers. Co-founder Steven Smith-Hay said in a statement. “It is undoubtedly a challenging time for the craft brewing sector, with closures ramping up last year across the industry. With the changes to duty and the minimum wage coming in from April, trading is likely going to remain tough – and we’re seeing these trends take place in other markets too, not just the UK.
“But people are still drinking beers – and consuming a wider variety than they were 10 or 15 years ago. Against that backdrop, we’ve aimed to stay true to our roots and focus on the quality of our products. Our signature sour style has broadly been overlooked and that has allowed us to grow to the size we are today, while maintaining our independence.”
He added, “We want to be known not just for sour beers, but for flavour more broadly. We’re experimenting in-house and are excited about the potential across barrel-aged projects, alcohol-free beers, and potentially lagers, IPAs and more.”
Vault City is now operating from it’s production facility at BioCampus in the Midlothian Science Zone, following crowdfunders in 2024 and 2025. The two campaigns raised more than £330,000, exceeding target by 32%, and supported the purchase of a site seven times larger than its previous premises. Vault City said the new site gives it capacity to produce more than 10 million litres a year, with room to expand.