Hello everyone!
Than you for taking the time to read my little ramble, I'd like to explain why Micro Beers is looking for you to donate a bit of money into your local community drinking establishment and what we plan to do with your generously donated money.
STRUGGLES ON THE HIGH STREET:
Everyone who watches and reads the news knows what's currently going on out on the high street and with the wider economy as a whole. The last 18 months have been inconsistent, stressful, and ridiculously challenging. I (Sean) opened Micro Beers in 2016 with the intention of it becoming a community off license and a place where people could meet and connect over good beer. In the intervening years we've gone through what seems like an endless amount of turbulence- Brexit, COVID, rising energy bills and interest rates, inflation, and now the current cost of living squeeze. With the help of our community and wonderful customers we've managed to ride things out, but we've also seen people's habits change massively in the 8 and a bit years we have been open and we want to react to those changes.
ADAPTING TO CHANGE:
Micro Beers in a post-COVID world has shifted to being more of a bar than a bottle shop with on sales now accounting for more of our turnover than off sales. We have adapted and changed with people's habits and are now a space that shows live sport, regularly hosts live DJ's, has pavement seating, and operates later into the night. We also amended our licensing restrictions in 2023 to allow us to serve pints and wine by the glass, something we weren't allowed to do for the first 7 years of our existence. We plan to extend our offering in the future too, with ideas in place to start offering a wider variety of drinks for consumption on site, as well as small plates.
WHERE WE SEE MICRO BEERS NOW:
So why am I telling you this? Well, when I first opened Micro Beers I didn't really envisage what it would become 8 years later. I still want this place to be a fantastic off license where people can come in and take away some of the best artisanally produced drinks around. But I'd also like to make some improvements to the space to make it more cozy for those who like to come in and pass the day or evening away. I love the space as it is and in many respects it has stood the test of time, new people regularly come in and are shocked to learn that we've been here for so long! However, I've also become quite aware that there isn't always enough seating and the seating we do have can be a bit uninviting for an extended "session". There is a rush for stools on busier days and many people are forced to stand, but we want to change that.
WHAT WE PLAN TO DO:
We have plans to change the layout of Micro Beers to make better use of the space by creating defined areas where people can sit and enjoy our venue. Please find an outline of the main things we're looking to do:
We will replace the drinking bench that runs opposite the fridges with cushioned seating and tables.
We will remove the shelves that currently hold our excess stock (next to the fridges) and extend the drinking bench along that wall to accommodate more seating.
We will halve the centre island to create one or two single tables (space dependent) that can be more easily congregated around and have their own dedicated seating.
We will install a new bracket to our television to allow us to pull it out into the main space during big sporting events (no more huddling around the window to watch sport!)
We will make the outdoor seating more comfortable for the summer months including cushions and blankets.
We will invest in a games console for days when we aren’t showing any sport on the TV as well as more board games.
As well as these key jobs we will also add small touches to the space like coat hooks, fresh paint, a change to the frontage of the shop, invest in a slushy machine (can anyone say frozen rose’s in the summer). What the main jobs allow us to do is to do more with the space we have which will make for a better year round experience at Micro Beers but, more importantly, they will also allow us to start running dedicated events like tastings, meet the brewers, bottle shares etc. without taking up the vast majority of space in Micro Beers.
WHY WE'VE TAKEN THIS ROUTE:
As mentioned in the first paragraph, conditions are currently not the best for plunging fairly tight cash flow in to a project like this and I've thought about the usual stuff like going and taking out a loan to pay for the works but after some persuading from the people around me I've decided to turn to the community to help with this. What we are essentially asking for is cash in exchange for rewards, depending on the level of donation you choose your donation will eventually pay for itself through discounts on your purchases- if you already visit us regularly you're basically front loading your spending! But even if you aren’t a dye-in-the-wool regular we still want you to donate and become one. Other rewards give you a tangible piece of Micro Beers (like having one of our taps and tables named after you) or allow you and your friends to enjoy a night out in Micro Beers by paying for it ahead of time.
WHY WE FEEL WE ADD VALUE TO EAST SHEEN AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS:
Independent retail and hospitality is currently taking a massive kicking from economic headwinds and we really really really need your support now more than ever. We think a space like ours offers people something more personal, unique and vibrant than a visit to your local supermarket or tied pub. We want the high street to thrive once more and what better way than to support one of your local (and independently) owned businesses?
AND FINALLY...
Please find a list of rewards that we are offering. Even if you aren’t interested in any of the rewards, any type of donation you can offer will help us to realise the dreams we have for the next phase of Micro Beers. With your help we hope to start working on these jobs right away and have them finished well in time for the summer.
Thanks so much for reading and I look forward to your support.
Sean
