Society of Independent Brewers 

Our role

Cavendish developed and delivered an integrated government relations campaign combining political engagement, digital mobilisation and media activity. 

A central part of the strategy focused on repositioning small breweries not simply as producers affected by a tax policy change, but as locally valued businesses embedded within communities across the UK — often successful entrepreneurial businesses generating jobs, investment and strong local identity. 

We worked with SIBA to tap into MPs’ constituency instincts, building political pressure by demonstrating the local impact the reforms could have on breweries, pubs and local economies within their own constituencies. 

Alongside direct parliamentary engagement, we developed and ran the social-media-led #BackLocalBeer campaign, using digital mobilisation to transform Small Breweries’ Relief from a niche industry issue into a broader political and public campaign. 

The challenge

Proposed changes to Small Breweries’ Relief (SBR) created significant commercial uncertainty for independent brewers across the UK, threatening the competitiveness and long-term viability of many smaller producers. 

For Society of Independent Brewers, the challenge was not simply opposing a tax change, but rapidly building enough political pressure and public visibility to force government reconsideration of reforms with potentially damaging consequences for the sector. 

The organisation needed to broaden the issue beyond a niche industry debate and build cross-party political support around the economic, local and community value of independent breweries.