Former Redchurch and Beavertown head brewer, James Rylance, who is heading the Harbour research and development project
Harbour Brewing Co has opened the doors to its new research and development facility, designed to expand the brewery’s capacity and capabilities.
The new site, which sits among open fields in North Cornwall, will be used to develop a range of experimental and limited-run beers that will utilise fruit from the on-site orchard, foraged herbs, and native yeasts.
The project is being headed up by former Redchurch and Beavertown head brewer, James Rylance. He said: “For anyone like me — with a passion for pushing the boundaries of beer and experimenting with new flavours — this new project is a dream.
“We’re surrounded by some of the best ingredients I’ve ever encountered, growing wild in the fields and hedgerows, and have planted lots of additional herbs on the land.
“The new kit includes one of the country’s only mobile coolships, so we can now cultivate wild yeast from anywhere, whether that’s beneath a blossom-covered apple tree, or in a grassy paddock.
“The result is beer that we can truly call our own, with flavours unique to this spot in Cornwall, impossible to replicate anywhere else in the world.”
The first beers produced in the facility were available at Bristol Craft Beer Festival in mid-September. These included a hibiscus and pineapple sage pale ale, a lemon verbena and sage saison, and a cherry sour.
James added: “We were overwhelmed with the response to our first few beers, and it goes to show there is a real appetite for something a little different to the standard fare.”
Large-scale events
The new site features a large storage facility to help meet the increasing demand for Harbour’s products, as well as the business’ first tasting room with extensive outdoor space for large-scale events.
Managing director, Eddie Lofthouse, said: “This project has been on our wish list for some time, so it’s brilliant to see it come to fruition.
“We’re extremely proud of our core range, and the team continues to create award-winning beers. The new R&D facility is an opportunity to take things one step further, with the capacity to be much more flexible and responsive as the seasons and ingredients change.”
The new releases will be available to purchase wholesale through distributor Kicking Horse, and direct to consumer via Harbour’s website.
