Damm re-launches Eagle Brewery in Bedford

Spain-based family-owned brewer Damm officially re-launched the Eagle Brewery in Bedford after acquiring the historic site in 2022 and investing more than £70 million in a complete modernisation of the operation.

Visitors to the re-launch, including Beer Insider, enjoyed a tour that boasts a state-of-the-art canning line and an additional brewstream that almost doubles capacity to 1.8 million hectolitres per year, with a target of 2 million by 2027.

Jorge Villavecchia, Managing Director of Damm, told guests: “Our commitment goes beyond capital investment. We are bringing skills, innovation and a vision of how industry must evolve to remain competitive: more digital, more sustainable, more resilient. This country has shown, time and again, its ability to adapt and emerge stronger from adversity. That is why we believe that our decision to invest in Bedford will contribute not only to Damm’s growth, but also to the resilience of the UK’s wider economy.”

The plan with the brewery is to become the largest independent beer and total beverages company in the UK. Along with producing the core Estrella beer the site will also produce the new Zero alcohol version along with other Damm beers and an increasing array of contract-brewed beers.

Looking to the future, Damm will also be launching an Accelerator Programme in the UK for industry businesses and start-ups to support innovation, production and distribution in one smooth operation. The UK will become a global hub for ‘beyond beer’ innovation for all international business, which will see an incubator hub set up for fledging drinks brands with promise, to draw upon collective knowledge and experience to support small brands for mutually beneficial business.

Glynn Davis, editor, Beer Insider