A Bristol-based brewery and collection of bars in the UK, Left Handed Giant brews high-quality beers across a wide range of styles, with the majority sold locally within Bristol itself.
Built on great service, great products, and great experiences, its venues serve as vibrant community hubs where customers, investors, and staff all play a vital role in the business’s success.
More than just a brewery, Left Handed Giant is a founder, employee, and community-owned company, rooted in the belief that the people who brew the beer and the people who drink it should help shape its future.
Client: Left Handed Giant
Platform: Left Handed Giant Ltd
Business type: Founder, Employee & Community-Owned Craft Brewery
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
Audience:
- 1,500 community shareholders (80% with BS postcodes)
- Employees across six venues
- Local Bristol beer community
- Independent trade partners
Core belief:
“We are owned and operated by the people who work in and use our premises, and drink our beer.”
The Struggle: Managing Community Ownership at Scale Without Adding Operational Complexity
Left Handed Giant had built something special — a brewery owned not just by founders, but by employees and over 1,500 community shareholders.
But rewarding that community in a scalable, sustainable way required more than printed cards and spreadsheets.
Challenges:
• Managing discounts for 1,500+ crowdfunding investors
• Keeping shareholder benefits flexible for future investment rounds
• Avoiding plastic discount cards to align with sustainability values
• Issuing and revoking staff discounts quickly and accurately
• Preventing misuse or outdated access when employees leave
• Avoiding multiple systems for investors, staff, and loyalty management
Problem:
Physical discount cards and manual tracking were not sustainable for a growing, community-owned brewery. The team needed a flexible, digital system that could reward shareholders and staff without adding administrative burden.
The Solution: A Digital-First Community Rewards Model
Instead of relying on printed plastic cards and manual spreadsheets, Left Handed Giant moved to a fully digital membership and discount system.
Investor perks and staff discounts were structured within one centralized platform, allowing the team to manage access, update benefits, and scale future investment rounds without operational friction.
What changed wasn’t just the format of the cards — it was the model behind them.
Shareholder and staff benefits became:
• Digitally issued
• Instantly verifiable
• Easy to update
• Simple to revoke when needed
• Aligned with sustainability values
🎯 Raklet angle:
“Instead of managing plastic cards and manual lists, Left Handed Giant turned shareholder and staff perks into a scalable digital membership system.”
From Plastic Cards to Flexible Digital Access
Before adopting a centralized platform, managing discounts required physical production, distribution, and manual oversight.
That created limitations:
- New investment rounds meant new cards
- Lost cards required replacements
- Staff departures required manual checks
- Sustainability values clashed with plastic production
With Raklet, shareholder and staff discounts became dynamic rather than static.
Access could be updated instantly.
New investors could be added seamlessly.
Former employees could be removed immediately.
Operational control increased, while administrative effort decreased.
Why Raklet Made the Difference
Raklet allowed Left Handed Giant to manage:
• Shareholders
• Staff access
• Digital discount cards
• Loyalty verification
All within one platform.
No juggling separate systems.
No disconnected data.
No plastic production.
Everything became centralized, trackable, and scalable.
How This Translated Into Results
The shift wasn’t just operational; it impacted revenue and engagement.
One site that transitioned its building tenant loyalty scheme to Raklet experienced a significant increase in revenue after implementing the digital system.
Beyond measurable revenue impact, the broader outcomes were clear:
• Reduced administrative workload
• Faster onboarding for investors and staff
• Immediate removal of access when needed
• Stronger alignment with environmental values
• A more professional, modern loyalty experience
Digital rewards didn’t just simplify operations; they strengthened the brewery’s community model.
Final Takeaway: Why This Works
Left Handed Giant succeeds because it treats ownership as more than a financial transaction.
Shareholders aren’t just investors.
Employees aren’t just staff.
Customers aren’t just drinkers.
They are participants in the brewery’s future.
By digitizing rewards and centralizing management, Left Handed Giant ensured that its community-owned model could scale sustainably without losing its local identity.
Raklet helps community-driven businesses like Left Handed Giant reward the people who power their growth.
Want to manage shareholder, staff, or loyalty programs without plastic cards or manual admin? With Raklet, you can centralize access, streamline operations, and strengthen community — all in one platform.
