Sellar, the UK’s leading trade sales platform for craft drinks makers, has announced Sellar Distribution: a new distribution arm designed to “give margin back to makers and deliver fresher, independent drinks to pubs, bars, and bottle shops at better prices”.
The company said it launches at a time when industry margins under unprecedented pressure, while legacy distribution models “are no longer sustainable”.
Sellar Distribution brings the dependability of wholesale together with an asset-light approach that eliminates inefficiencies.
“Margins are under attack. We’ve already lost some of our favourite brewers and if things don’t change, we’ll lose more,” said Julian Bourne, co-founder and CEO of Sellar. “Traditional distributors take margin from every order. Sellar doesn’t. With Sellar Distribution we can deliver the distributor experience, without being a distributor. ”
To execute this vision, Sellar has brought in some of the most experienced operators in UK drinks logistics with Chris Mair, founder of New Wave Distribution and Alec Kendrick, formerly director of operations at James Clay & Sons.
“We sold New Wave in part because it felt like we were no longer solving a problem. We weren’t adding value in the way we wanted to. Sellar have brought new eyes to an old problem,” said Chris Mair. “The vision, the goal, of Sellar Distribution is to add that value back in and create a new more positive shift to the distribution model, and the sector as a whole. ”
On the operational side, Alec Kendrick is equally focused on building for the long term: “Businesses are working in a climate of inflation, margin pressure, and team shortages. Sellar Distribution will be a tailored offering bringing benefits such as improved supply chain coordination, and giving more value back to the people and businesses that make this industry what it is. “
The company said that Sellar Distribution will deliver the specialist, consolidated dray experience venues expect, but without the inefficiencies of legacy distribution.
Unlike traditional distributors who buy and hold stock, Sellar’s model is designed around: Unlimited range, no stock risk: any product can be listed without holding inventory, giving venues access to the full breadth of seasonal releases, limited runs, and local favourites.
Real-time availability, just-in-time fulfilment: stock only moves from a brewery once it’s sold, then routed and delivered when it’s needed. That means fresher beer and no guesswork.
Transparency and relationships: brewers keep sight of where their beer is going, while venues connect directly with the people who make it. Without the layer of sales teams in the middle, both sides get a more genuine, lower-cost connection. More efficient logistics: a leaner model with lower costs.
They added: “And because Sellar monetises through its software, distribution can be delivered at cost, something legacy players can’t offer. The result: fresher stock, wider choice, and more margin where it belongs, with the people who make and serve the drinks.
“The first step will be a pilot of Sellar Distribution in one location, launching later this year. From there, the ambition is to expand the model across the UK in 2026.”
