Brewery visits
Radical rightsizing repositions Charles Wells
Charles Wells’ brewery in Bedford dates back to 1876 but a long history was no deterrent to the family selling it last year to Marston’s in what could well be the first of a number of drastic manoeuvres taken by regional brewers. It reflects the tough environment in which they now trade, according to…
Read MoreRethinking beer in Scotland
Having spent a career working in senior roles at various large brewers the founder of Edinburgh Beer Factory (EBF) decided to do things a little differently when setting up his own operation. Sitting on the edge of Edinburgh on an industrial estate EBF is the creation of John Dunsmore – who formerly ran Scottish &…
Read MoreBath Ales fresh from installation of state-of-the-art brewing facility
Roger Ryman is renowned for his brewing capabilities – having created blockbusters like Tribute – but he is less known for his engineering prowess, which is on full show at Bath Ales brewery on the outskirts of the Georgian city. On a tour of the site it is clear that the brewing director of St…
Read MoreNorth London brewing scene continues its ascendency with Gorgeous Brewery
Gorgeous Brewery stepped into The Bull in Highgate to replace the London Brewing Company and has installed a significantly more serious brewing operation in this North London outpost. On my previous visit some years ago when Dan Fox had taken on the dishevelled pub the small brewery was positioned in the kitchen but under its…
Read MoreMagic Rock Brewing Company – magic beers and rock solid business
Established craft brewers moving into supermarkets is a reflection of an industry maturing and is also recognition that selling into myriad independent venues is now the domain of the many newer brewers joining the scene. Having been brewing since 2011 Richard Burhouse, founder of Magic Rock Brewing Company, says the growth for his business is…
Read MoreLittle and local is future of brewing
There is plenty of room in the market for many more breweries but only if they focus purely on supplying their local markets, with the majority of sales derived from their on-site tap rooms. This was the view of Steve Hindy, Brooklyn Brewery co-founder, when Beer Insider made a visit to New York City to…
Read MoreDeviant & Dandy at Beavertown
Byron Knight founded Beavertown Brewery in Duke’s Brew & Que (RIP) having previously done a bit of home brewing and now after a hiatus running restaurants he is back with Deviant & Dandy brewery. His plan for Beavertown was to have a number of US-inspired barbecue restaurants – in the template of Dukes – that…
Read MoreSiren pays homage to Paddington for Draft House
Siren Craft Brew is creating a beer to celebrate the recent opening of Draft House’s Paddington pub – in homage to the bear – amid significant expansion at the Berkshire-based brewery. An experimental pilot brew Card’Oranges produced for a London-based festival is being used as the base for the ‘Paddington Beer’ that will be available…
Read MoreLatest Venture for Hall & Woodhouse
When bottles of ‘An American Venture’ roll into the major supermarkets next month it will mark a potentially significant move for the traditional Dorset-based brewer Hall & Woodhouse as it arguably nudges it for the first time into craft beer territory. Although it is not making such an extravagant move as Fuller’s, with its recent…
Read MoreA little bit of Bohemia in North London
When he found the price of beer increasingly too expensive and believed the quality to be deteriorating the answer for one North Londoner was to start brewing his own. Although living in the north of the capital Petr Skocek is actually a native of Pilsen in the Czech Republic so he is steeped in beer…
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