A Newcastle influencer has teamed up with Whitley Bay Brew Co to create a new beer that's raising funds for the people of Ukraine.
With more than 17,000 followers on her 'Geordie Scran' Instagram account, blogger Laura Middleton is well known for her honest food reviews of eateries across the North East. Now, she's become the face of a limited edition IPA called 'We Stand With Ukraine' as it raises vital funds for the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
In a heartfelt post on her Instagram account, Laura said: "I've been incredibly moved by all the news surrounding the conflicts, so when the awesome fellas from Whitley Bay Brew Co came to me with this collab idea it was a total no-brainer. Please, dig deep and drink up."
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The beer is the brainchild of Matthew Minchella who owns Newcastle -based company MDM Marketing. The 22-year-old wanted to do something to help the millions of Ukrainian refugees who have fled following the Russian invasion in February.
All of the profits of each £3.50 beer sold will go directly to the Disaster Emergency Committee running the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. The organisation works with charities to provide food, water, shelter and healthcare to refugees and displaced families.
Matthew, from South Shields, said more than £400 has already been raised from the beer which can be bought from Whitley Bay Brew Co website and shop on South Parade. The bottles are also being sold in pubs and restaurants in the area including Gilbert & Smiths and The Rockcliffe Arms in Whitley Bay, The Belmont in Durham and The Broadway in Sunderland.
He said: "I started MDM marketing to give businesses’ in the North East a voice via marketing, so I thought: 'Why not use our voice to help the people in Ukraine?'
"We set up the campaign and designed the bottles and then the brewery brewed the beer and packaged it. Laura from Geordie Scran then [promoted] the whole project on social media [which] really helped push up the sales.
"The response we have had has been really good. People seem to love the beer and it's nice to do a good thing."
