A Scottish brewer has made the permanent move to a four-day week across its brewery, bar and office operations in what it says is a first for the commercial industry in the UK.

The decision by Edinburgh-based Vault City – which makes sour beers with flavours including Iron Brew, Cloudy Lemonade and Rhubarb and Custard – comes after eight months of trails. The firm’s 13 employees now work from 8am to 5.30pm Monday to Thursday, with the working week reduced from 40 hours a week to 35.

The Herald:

The concept had been in Vault City co-founder Steven Smith Hay’s mind since he left a corporate career which included spells at BT and TSG to start the firm in 2018. Despite expecting significant challenges – particularly implementing it around the unpredictable production schedule of a fully functioning commercial brewery – he knew it was fundamentally important to create the right work-life balance for his team. 

“A four-day working week is completely unheard of in the brewing world, an industry which has developed a reputation for long hours and hard graft," he said.

"To be honest, that was part of my motivation – to create a different way of working. It hasn’t come without its challenges, though.

“As the first commercial brewery in the UK to offer this way of working to our team, there was no blueprint to follow. Initially it takes discipline not to fall back into old habits of a five-day working pattern, especially because many of our customers work in hospitality where weekends are often when they’re most active.” 

Although the office teams at Vault City adapted quickly to the new work schedule during last year’s phased introduction, the brewing arm of the business threw up more obstacles – particularly as fermentation doesn’t work to a set timetable.

The Herald:

“Brewing beer can be unpredictable, especially in the world of mixed fermentation," Mr Hay explained. "There are certain situations when brewing and packaging releases which can change quickly and require immediate attention.

"In those moments we’ve had to use overtime pay to make sure we kept things under control. It’s not something you want to become habitual, but it is necessary from time to time, and crucially it’s fair.” 

The business has almost tripled in size over the past year, including a raft of new hires, products, and the opening The Wee Vault in Edinburgh’s Haymarket. Turnover is said to be up by 175 per cent, with the brewery’s output increasing to around 250,000 litres of beer each year.

Vault City has attributed this to a spike in direct-to-consumer demand during the pandemic, and new contracts with Tesco for "sessionable" product lines.