Cut through the jargon: How to buy craft beer wholesale online (without the headache)

The craft beer industry is full of brilliant beer — but it’s also full of confusing jargon.

If you’re a pub, bar, bottle shop, or café looking to buy beer wholesale online, chances are you’ve run into this problem: most of what you find are wholesalers, not the actual breweries. And if you're trying to support small, independent producers (and get the freshest beer possible), that can be frustrating.

So let’s break down some of the key terms — no fluff, no buzzwords — just what you need to know.

Wholesale

Buying beer ex VAT (without tax) for your business.

In simple terms: if you're a trade customer (e.g. a licensed venue or retailer), you qualify for wholesale pricing. But how you access that pricing — who you buy from — makes a big difference.

Trade

Another word for buying wholesale as a business. You’ll see it used everywhere — “trade prices”, “trade customers”, “trade accounts” — but it all points to the same thing: buying beer for resale or service in your venue.

Wholesalers

These are businesses that buy beer (often in bulk) from suppliers, then sell it on to you with their own margin added.

Wholesalers often carry lots of products from big and small breweries alike. But it’s important to know: the brewery doesn’t always set the price, control how the beer is stored, or know who you are.

Direct Trade Sales

This is where things get interesting.

Direct trade is when you buy straight from the brewery. No middlemen, no markups, no margin stacking.

It means:

• Fresher beer (often shipped straight from the brewery cold store)

• Better prices (because you’re not paying a wholesaler’s margin)

• Direct relationships (you know exactly where your beer comes from, and the people behind it)

This is where Sellar comes in.

Sellar: Your Gateway to Independent Beer

Sellar is built for venues and retailers who want to buy better beer, from better breweries —without the hassle.

We connect you directly to the UK's most exciting independent breweries. Order online. Chat directly with suppliers. Pay one invoice. Get beer delivered straight from the source.

No more trawling endless spreadsheets. No more gatekeeping wholesalers. Just good beer, made by great people, delivered to your door.

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