Beartown Brewery, based in Congleton, has officially broken ground on its new brewery, as the business gets set to upscale in 2022.
The new brewery, set to open in late spring, will offer four times the capacity of the original Beartown brewery, which opened in 1994. There will be the ability to continue adding to the fermenter farm, and to produce eight times more beer.
Beartown has also invested in upgrading its original kit, to make way for some big-hitting flavour profiles in the next six months. The new kit will also allow the business to offer contract brewing.
A Dirty Dozen project will see 12 limited-edition beers over 12 months, allowing the head brewer to entertain his curiosities and interests, with beers ranging from no/low NEIPA to 12% ABV imperial stout.
With the craft market still in a strong growth, 13% year on year, Beartown Brewery is looking to firmly put itself on the keg map, with the addition of a keg machine and closed top Uni tanks.
Strong consumer base
Joseph Manning, managing director of Beartown Brewery, said: “2021 saw us us achieve record sales, higher than pre-pandemic, something which really affirmed that now was the right time to expand the brewery, investing in new kit and giving us the opportunity to grow the Beartown brand.
“We are keen to grow our keg offering, as kegs have become increasingly popular on the market. Pre-Covid, our business was 95% core cask to the trade and now we have a strong consumer bottle and can customer base and have seen keg take off with our on-trade customers in a big way throughout 2021.
“This new brewery is a long time in the making and testament to how far we’ve come, but also how far we want to go, with increased operations and opportunities.”
Alongside capacity and keg expansion, the new brewery will also offer a consumer-focused experience, with a stunning taproom featuring floor-to-ceiling glass windows with panoramic views of the brewery.
Looking to bring the brand to new audiences, Beartown also has a series of events planned, including Congleton Unplugged, an acoustic music festival, plus a series of own-brand beer festivals.
With the opening of the new brewery, Beartown will be looking to expand with new jobs, alongside identifying new sites for Beartown pubs, and looking to bring its canning machine online.
About the brewery
The Beartown Brewery story began in 1632, when Congleton, a town in Cheshire, sold its bible to buy a bear. From that day forward, Congleton was given a new name — Beartown.
Beartown Brewery was officially born in 1994, blossoming in a world of cask beer — the pinnacle of craft brewing. Over the decades, it has added bottles, cans, and kegs to the range.
The business which is owned by the Manning family, is committed to remaining a sustainable brewery. As they expand the site, the Mannings are looking at new ways to achieve this aim.
