By Scott Wright

THE Scottish brewing industry has declared it is taking “positive steps out of the pandemic” after ministers committed further funding to businesses affected by coronavirus restrictions.

Brewers can now apply for one-off grants of up to £29,500, paid via local authorities, if they were impacted by the tightening of coronavirus measures over Christmas.

The grants are available under the Scottish Brewers Support Fund, with £1 million of additional support provided by the Scottish Government.

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the Scottish Beer & Pub Association, said: “This support will be vital to many businesses, and we were delighted to work alongside the Scottish Government and other industry colleagues to ensure that it is available to Scotland’s much-loved brewers. This support, alongside a continued easing of the restrictions show that we’re taking positive steps out of the pandemic. We now look towards local authorities to distribute these grants as soon as possible.”