Titanic Brewery is set to open a ninth pub — Ye Olde Kings Arms in Congleton — in November and has announced plans to open 22 pubs by 2020.
Managing director Keith Bott has unveiled the plan to expand Titanic’s estate to 30 pubs, concentrating expansion in Staffordshire, South Cheshire and Derbyshire.
Founded in 1985, Titanic Brewery had just one pub until 2007 and has expanded from its Potteries base to open pubs in Stafford, Stone. Leek and Buxton. The historic Ye Olde Kings Arms is the brewery’s first pub in Cheshire.
“We are committed to opening community pubs which appeal to a wide age range and are part of the fabric of their local area,” said Keith. “A good pub is at the heart of the community and we are extremely proud to say that every pub we have opened so far has formerly been closed down. A good pub is an integral part of our culture and it is very satisfying to play a part in the revival of the great British pub.”
Titanic Brewery’s expansion programme has so far led to the employment of around 120 staff in the pubs and brewery, with many more to come in the 22 proposed pubs.
The ambitious plans were announced as Titanic unveiled new hospitality facilities at its Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent brewery. A £300,000 investment has led to the creation of the Titanic Sample Room. New offices and a shop also feature in the upgraded facilities at the brewery in Callender Place.
The extensive refurbishment represents a major commitment to Titanic’s home town of Burslem. The brewery has expanded from just seven barrels a week to brew more than 2.5 million pints of award-winning beer a year, but was bursting at the seams and had no visitor facilities.
Owners and brothers, Keith and Dave Bott (pictured), made a commitment to keep their expanding business in Burslen and now plan to work with local business by opening up the new facilities for conférences and training workshops.
