Ilkley Brewing Company, established in 2009, has been purchased by the Half Full Beer Company, run by one of its former employees.
Luke Raven is a former Ilkley Brewery manager who left in March to set up the Half Full Beer Company, a vehicle to invest in brewing industry companies. Now he has steered a take-over of his former firm.
Brewery managing director, Richard Shelton, is staying on, but Chris Ives, who founded Ilkley with business partner Stuart Ross, is leaving the firm. Mr Ross left in 2012 to set up Wharfedale Brewery.
Head brewer Christa Sandquist (pictured) will be staying on, described by the company as “one of the most talented and exciting young brewers in the industry”.
Luke said: “I formed Half Full Beer Co with an open remit to engage in the beer industry as a whole, and with a vision to develop a portfolio of brands. We are energised and focused on providing fresh impetus to continue building the Ilkley brand as an integral part of this portfolio.
“Our optimistic, open and community-based approached perfectly suits Ilkley Brewery, and as a local resident myself, this is a very proud day. I am delighted that Richard Shelton is remaining as a shareholder and Director, and can be confident that under his sustained stewardship, the business can continue to flourish.”
He said the brewery, which has been operating at full capacity, will get new investment for growth.
Chris Ives told the Yorkshire Post: “The business had come to a bit of a crunch. It needed more money to expand or it needed to diversify. I didn’t have the appetite to put more money in and we looked at other ways to raise funds and one of those was to sell.”
