Dave Hiscutt, manager of Londis Westham Road, in Weymouth, says his selection of craft beers offers great margins and helps attract high-spending customers.

“At the end of the day I can’t beat the supermarkets on price, and I don’t expect to. However, I can smash them on the availability of small batch stuff that customers really get excited about. The price point isn’t cheap: we’ve got beers that range from around £2.49 a can all the way up to £6.49,” he said.

“The wholesaler that I use for the bulk of our stock allows single pick so it saves me having to buy whole cases of the premium beers. That means that I get the range.

“Craft beer customers are always up for trying new beers, they want something different every time. It’s not like the people who like Old Speckled Hen and buy it week after week. So I’m trying new things to keep the range fresh.

“It’s great at Christmas too because people are looking to spend more and want something a bit different.”