Hop Stuff Brewery has drawn Funding III — its latest crowdfunding campaign — to a close, surpassing its £400,000 target in fewer than 36 hours and ending up more than 190% funded.

Funding III, announced by Hop Stuff on January 26, funded in just two days, attracting more than 1,000 investors. The decision was then taken to overfund to help advance the group’s taproom ambitions further, eventually raising over £770,000.

Founded by James Yeomans in November 2013, Hop Stuff is the only brewer in the world to successfully complete three rounds of funding via Crowdcube, raising over £1.5m in the process and inviting over 1,000 investors to join its journey.

James said: “The reception to Funding III has been incredible. We had, of course, hoped it would be successful, but never imagined funding in just two days. It goes to show how much our message resonates with people, offering uncomplicated and approachable craft beer to more and more people.

Hop Stuff taproom

“The funds will be pumped directly into our taproom business, helping us open five more in the next two years. This platform of investors and funds position us perfectly for rapid growth and we’re incredibly excited to see what we can do in 2018.”

In 2016, Hop Stuff Brewery launched Funding II, which was invested directly into a new £1.5m brewhouse capable of producing up to 10,000,000 pints a year.

The company now employees 50 people, exports across the world, and is planning to brew more than 1,000,000 pints of beer this year. The ambitious group is also planning to add a further 70 team members in 2018 across three new bars, the first of which — Ashford, in Kent — is due to open as early as next month.

James added: “The new brewhouse provides us the flexibility to be more creative than ever before. We’re starting this year off with a big 7% DDH Simcoe and Mosaic IPA, and already planning an intense seasonal calendar. We’re also now better positioned than ever before for rapid expansion, working with new partners like supermarkets and new export countries.”

In a note to investors today (February 19), James said: “Thank you for the incredible support received throughout Funding III — now it’s time for us to deliver on the promises you’ve supported with your hard-earned cash, promoting social, uncomplicated and accessible craft beer to more people than ever before.”

Hop Stuff taproom