Big Hug teams up with GK for charity drive

Only A Pavement Away charity will benefit from 50% of the profits from Big Hug sales being donated via the @workforgooduk​ scheme.

The beer will be available to almost 4,000 pubs across the UK with a target of raising £20,000 for the charity this year.

Money raised will be used to support the charity in its mission to help people facing homelessness, veterans and prison leavers find stability through employment, with roles in the hospitality industry.

Raise charity profile

Big Hug Brewing founder Matt Williams hopes the new partnership with Greene King will help raise the profile of the charity even further.

Also available in keg and can, and listed with retailers including Co-op Local in Sussex, Pave the Way was initially created in late 2019 to help drive donations for Only A Pavement Away after Williams had reached out to the charity earlier that year.

Williams said: “As a small, single-person operator, to be able to achieve something of this scale and work with one of the largest and most established brewers in the country to get our beer out there and support such an amazing charity is phenomenal.

“Since it first dropped in keg and cans in 2019, Pave The Way has been one of our most consistent, best performing beers. Not only because it’s a beer that is mellow, easy drinking and a little more traditional in its flavour profile but also because it’s a beer people really buy into.”

Different way to support charity

He continued: “This will be the largest on-trade distribution the beer has ever received, available to almost 4,000 pubs if they want it.”

Greene King head brewer Jack Palmer added: “At Greene King, we have been working with Only Pavement Away for a number of years now through our social mobility scheme, Releasing Potential, and it’s great to be able to support the charity in a different way.

“Pave The Way ale has been a welcome addition to our Fresh Cask Releases calendar and as the warmer temperatures start to show this beer will be the perfect refreshing choice for customers, so definitely one to have on the bar.”

Only A Pavement Away has placed more than 300 members into meaningful employment to date and hopes to place 5,000 people into hospitality during the next five years.