The Challenge
For RedWillow, new retail wins created the kind of problem every growing independent brewery hopes to have, but still has to solve.
The brewery was purchasing 2-3 pallets of 440ml silver cans at a time. It was enough recurring volume to require a dependable supply programme, but not enough to justify truckload minimums or storing months of packaging inventory.
RedWillow anticipated several new contracts that could potentially triple its can requirements in early 2026. The brewery secured three new supermarket accounts and incoming cans were already being allocated to retail orders before they reached the brewery.
The growth was exciting, but its timing and volume remained difficult to forecast. RedWillow’s facility could only accommodate a few pallets at a time, while cans had to be purchased before the beer could be produced, delivered and paid for.
This placed the brewery in a gap familiar to many growing craft brands, when they're too large for piecemeal purchasing, but too small for a conventional supply model built around high minimums, long lead times and significant working capital.
RedWillow needed a can programme that worked at its current size while giving it room to grow quickly.
The Solution
Cask’s UK Brite Can Programme is built for exactly this stage of growth. RedWillow could order 440ml silver cans from a 1 pallet minimum and ends from a 1/4 pallet minimum, closely matching each purchase to its production schedule. Because Cask holds core can formats and multiple end colours in stock, RedWillow could replenish packaging without waiting for a new manufacturing run or committing to excess inventory.
Through Cask’s UK warehousing and logistics partnership with Premier Logistics, the brewery could request delivery with as little as 72 hours notice. Shared trucks made frequent 2-3 pallet deliveries practical, while optional morning and timed delivery windows gave the production team more certainty when schedules were tight.
Cask also helped address the cash-flow ripple effect that comes with sudden retail growth. The team secured approval for Net 30 terms in less than a week, allowing RedWillow to place its first order without diverting cash needed to produce the beer. As RedWillow won new accounts and its requirements increased, Cask reviewed and increased its credit limit twice in 6 months, ultimately providing more than double its original credit capacity.
Throughout the transition, RedWillow had direct access to a responsive fulfilment team that could coordinate stock, delivery timing and account requirements as forecasts changed. The solution was not simply access to cans, it was a supply programme able to adjust alongside the brewery.
The Results
RedWillow began working with Cask in November 2025, initially purchasing 2-3 pallets at a time. Within 6 months, the brewery was planning for approximately 6 pallets per month, nearly tripling its can volume.
That growth was supported without requiring RedWillow to take on truckload quantities or fill its limited facility with packaging. Instead, the brewery could bring in smaller deliveries every few weeks, aligning its can supply more closely with production and retail demand.
Cask’s expanding credit support also helped RedWillow manage the period between purchasing packaging and receiving payment for finished orders. As its retail business grew, its available credit grew with it.
This can supply model allows RedWillow to pursue larger opportunities without losing the flexibility that makes it a successful independent brewery. Its award-winning beers, including Weightless, now sit alongside Less is More, its 0.5% pale ale, giving the brewery relevant products across both established craft and growing no-and-low categories.
For RedWillow, the opportunity ahead is to bring more of those beers to more consumers. Cask’s role is to ensure can supply, delivery and credit capacity are ready to move when that next order arrives.
