How Scottish breweries can use Sellar to maximise the guest beer agreement

Scotland’s beer scene is packed with talent. From small rural producers to well-known urban names, breweries across the country are creating fantastic, characterful beers. But even with demand for local and independent producers at an all-time high, getting your beer into more pubs — particularly larger pub groups — remains a challenge. That’s where the Guest Beer Agreement and Sellar can help.

What is the Guest Beer Agreement?

The Guest Beer Agreement is a golden opportunity for Scottish breweries. It gives tied pubs in Scotland the legal right to one beer line from a supplier of their choice, independently of their pub company’s listings. This creates a crucial new route to market for breweries looking to get onto more taps, in venues that would otherwise be closed off due to supply restrictions.

But rights on paper don’t always translate into easy execution. We know pubs struggle with the admin burden of dealing directly with multiple small suppliers — different invoices, varied payment terms, unfamiliar ordering processes. This friction can put them off using their guest beer rights altogether.

That’s where Sellar comes in.

What is Sellar?

Sellar is a B2B platform built specifically for independent breweries and the trade buyers they serve. Sellar makes it easier for breweries to manage their trade sales, and easier for retailers to buy directly from great local producers. Think of us as the bow in your arrow: we give you the tools and support to reach further and grow faster.

Through Sellar, pubs can discover, order, and manage deliveries from breweries across Scotland — all in one place. For breweries, Sellar is a way to get in front of more buyers and remove the admin that slows down growth.

Solving pub group pain points

Many pub groups and tied houses want to support local breweries through the Guest Beer Agreement — but they often run into operational headaches that prevent them from doing so. Their back-of-house systems aren’t designed to handle ad-hoc supplier setups. Credit is usually a must, and paying individual invoices is a non-starter.

Sellar helps you solve all that:

• End-of-month + 30 days credit: We offer marketing leading payment terms that match the needs of larger hospitality groups.

• One consolidated invoice: Pubs can order from you and receive one monthly invoice —streamlined, compliant, and simple.

• Zero fees: No hidden costs or interest for them.

When you offer Sellar Credit, you remove the barriers that typically block pubs from buying directly from independent breweries — especially the ones tied into corporate ordering systems. It’s a way to make guest beer sales not just possible, but easy.

Say Goodbye to Credit Headaches

Of course, it's not just the pub that faces friction. For breweries, one of the biggest anxieties around taking on new trade customers is credit. Should you offer it? Will they pay on time? Are they financially sound?

Traditionally, deciding who to extend credit to means doing credit checks, collecting trade references, and taking on the financial risk yourself. It’s time-consuming, risky, and often puts a handbrake on growth.

Sellar Credit removes all that.

When a pub orders through Sellar using Sellar Credit, we pay you upfront on dispatch. We take on the risk, not you. You don’t need to worry about chasing payments or losing sleep over whether you’ll get paid. And for pubs, it means no need to fill out extra forms or wait around for approvals — they can just order, and get what they need, fast.

It’s a win-win: you get paid reliably, and your customers get the flexibility they need without the paperwork. Growth, with confidence.

We’re here to help

Want to target a pub group or help a tied pub use their Guest Beer rights?

We’re happy to jump on a call with you and the pub, or offer personalised onboarding to help them get started on Sellar. Whether it’s explaining how credit works, walking them through their first order, or making sure their finance team is happy with our setup — we’re here to help you make the sale.

The Guest Beer Agreement opens a door. Sellar makes it easy to walk through it.

What are the next steps?

If you're a Scottish brewery looking to grow your on-trade presence, now’s the time to take action.

• Identify the pubs in your region that are eligible under the Guest Beer Agreement — especially tied houses under pub companies like Star Pubs & Bars or Belhaven, Greene King. Many are open to local beer, but simply need a smoother way to make it happen.

• Reach out to these pubs with confidence. Let them know they have the right to choose a guest beer and that you can make it easy via Sellar. Highlight that they’ll get credit, one monthly invoice, and full onboarding support.

• Get in touch with us at Sellar. We’ll support you every step of the way — from jumping on intro calls with the pub group, to setting them up for success on the platform.

Useful Resources

• Scotland just got tastier for beer fans - The Drinks Business

• Guidance - Guest Beer Arrangements - Scottish Government

• Guest Beer Portal - Society of Independent Brewer’s (SIBA)

• Scottish Pubs Code FAQ - Star Pubs

At Sellar, we believe independent beer should be everywhere. The Guest Beer Agreement is a powerful tool — use it, and use Sellar, to grow your footprint across Scotland’s taps. We’re here to help you sell more beer, with less hassle.