Picture: www.stevenbarber.com
Hawkshead Brewery, in the Lake District, has completed an expansion project to allow a 40% increase in capacity, from 10,000 hectolitres (6,000 barrels) to 14,000 (8,500 barrels) a year, under a two-year plan.
The brewery, at Staveley, near Kendal, which has been brewing at full capacity for the past year, has been re-organised, at a cost of £175,000, to boost efficiency, quality assurance and output. A new cold conditioning room has been built, the fermentation room extended, and new fermentation vessels purchased from Moeschle UK.
Hawkshead’s owner and founder, Alex Brodie said he was happy to put more investment into the brewery and it was a sensible business decision because “the demand from both the traditional and modern craft markets for head brewer Matt Clarke’s innovative and full-flavoured beers continues to outstrip our ability to supply”.
He added: “This expansion is not just about brewing more beer. It is about brewing more styles of beer, and giving us more flexibility to experiment and add to the already crazily wide range of beers we turn out.”
From its relatively remote base in Cumbria, Hawkshead sells by direct delivery throughout the North of England and selectively via specialist wholesalers elsewhere. Its iconic summer beer festival has drawn beer lovers to the Lakes for the past ten years. This year’s tenth anniversary festival — Northern Craft, from July 21-23 — will showcase the craft brewery scene in the North of Britain.
