Lerwick Brewery and UHI Collaborate to Brew up a Sailing Success

That the Parliament welcomes the collaboration between Lerwick Brewery and the University of the Highlands and Islands to develop a new beer, Kjol; understands that the beer, pronounced "chill", has been created to celebrate the annual Bergen to Shetland yacht race, which takes place from 24 to 29 June 2015; notes that the event, now in its 29th year, sees around 200 competitors sail from the Norwegian city to Lerwick in up to 40 vessels; congratulates the combined effort of academics from the university’s Centre for Nordic Studies and brewery staff to investigate the feasibility of the new product and use their expertise to help develop its branding; understands that the project is part of a wider collaboration between the organisations to create a range of beers inspired by events that attract visitors to the islands; acknowledges the initiative, which is being supported through the Scottish Funding Council’s Innovation Voucher Scheme; encourages higher education institutions to work with small and medium-sized enterprises to develop new products and services, and hopes that the new beer will help Shetland’s youngest brewery explore the potential of expanding its market with a new range of niche products that it considers will be of interest to local, national and international markets.

Supported by: Roderick Campbell, Jean Urquhart, Dennis Robertson, Adam Ingram, Colin Beattie, David Torrance, Joan McAlpine, Colin Keir, David Stewart, Jamie McGrigor, Bill Kidd, Rob Gibson, Mary Scanlon, Christian Allard, Kenneth Gibson, Jackie Baillie, John Finnie, Kevin Stewart, Gil Paterson