[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://vimeo.com/182554457″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]Sussex based Bedlam Brewery is launching a £330,000 crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube, to supplement the £170,000 recently raised from shareholders and associates. The raise also benefits from being EIS registered, allowing for a 30% rebate on any investment made.
Bedlam is run by former founder and managing director of Dark Star Brewery, Paul Reed, and pubco owner, Dominic Worrall. Head brewer, Fabio Israel, was recruited from London Fields brewery, having previously trained at Warsteiner in his native Germany.
Since the business was successfully relaunched as a commercial brewery at Craft Beer Rising in 2015, Bedlam has seen turnover increase by more than 85% in the last year, including securing its first export order.
Bedlam has recently secured distribution through market leader Matthew Clarke, as well as supplying Metropolitan Pub Co (Greene King’s London-based operation), Marriott hotels and The Restaurant Group plc.
Based in Sussex, on the outskirts of Brighton in the heart of the South Downs National Park, the setting has proved one of the main inspirations for their successful range of beers. Bedlam’s focus has been to brew pure-styled draft keg brews, such as pale ales and Pilsner, alongside a core cask and bottled range. The Daily Telegraph cited its Pilsner as one of the “top ten keg beers to watch”, commenting that “it manages to achieve something that mass markets lagers can only dream of”.
Environmental credentials being crucial to Bedlam, the business runs its entire brewery operation from solar energy produced on site. It also grows and hand harvests Sussex and Pilgrim hops at its farm-based location, while spent grain is given away for free to a neighbouring farmer to use as cattle feed.
The brewery has been entirely self-funded so far, between friends and family, and £500,000 to build a new state-of-the-art brewhouse enabling the capacity to increase by up to 600%. The new site will command stunning views across the South Downs National Park and will accommodate tours, tasting rooms and a retail store.
Dominic said: “We are delighted to be the first brewery in Sussex offering not only an opportunity to invest in their local brewhouse, but a real chance to play an active part in our future.
“Demand for the beer has far outstripped what we believed was possible, and together with our initial growth and the opportunities ahead, it makes absolute sense to futureproof our quality and capacity. This is an incredibly exciting time for any new UK brewery and with the benefit of Paul’s experience at Dark Star, we are confident of making an impact in the craft beer scene.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
