The coronavirus crisis has hit the alcohol industry hard with pubs closing their doors for extended periods and countless festivals being cancelled.

However, one entrepreneur has spent the pandemic building a new business which is helping some of Essex’s beer companies to thrive once again.

Phil Ravell, a shareholder at the Billericay Brewing Company, established Beer Belly during the initial lockdown period and the firm has shone a light on a range of south Essex’s microbreweries.

The likes of the Leigh Brewery and Billericay Brewing Company have teamed up with Beer Belly, with Phil’s growing business stocking their beers and offering a delivery service.

Phil, of Billericay, is pleased to have pounced on what he felt was a gap in the market and hopes his firm has helped the brewers to survive these testing times.

He said: “I was drinking one of the Billericay Brewing Company’s new beers and it was fantastic.

On ice - a selection of the beers which are available through Beer Belly

On ice - a selection of the beers which are available through Beer Belly

“They then told me they only ship the beers locally, so I wanted to start offering a delivery service so that people from far and wide can try Essex’s best beers.

“I contacted all of the microbreweries in Essex who were struggling and it’s great that a lot of them have got on board with the project.

“It’s great for me because it means I have a business which is serving a purpose, while it allows these small brands to get their name out there.

“With pubs being closed because of coronavirus restrictions and festivals not going ahead, it meant breweries were not selling their stock, so I think Beer Belly came along at the right time.”

There are currently 1,000 microbreweries in England, but Phil is proud to be championing what our region has to offer.

However, he was forced to overcome some issues as he looked to get Beer Belly up-and-running.

Looking to the future - entrepreneur Phil Ravell established Beer Belly last year

Looking to the future - entrepreneur Phil Ravell established Beer Belly last year

Director Phil, 52, added: “Although I started Beer Belly a year ago, I couldn’t do anything until June or July because of licensing issues.

“That whole process was going at a snail’s pace and it made it very difficult.

“It was also frustrating when trying to open a new bank account for the company because banks were being told not to open new accounts during the pandemic.

“I would estimate that it took six months to get up-and-running and it meant I was playing catch up at times, but it has been worth it.

“It’s fantastic being able to help microbreweries which are on our doorstep.”