Launching a new brewery in a pandemic may seem a gamble, but it’s one Michael McKelvaney and Lara Light-McKelvaney chose to face.
Photograph: Newtown Park Brewery
They have launched Newtown Park Brewing Co in Bristol, and taken on Italian Virginia Casadio as head brewer.
They decided to buy the old LHG (Left Handed Giant) brewery during the covid-19 global pandemic, completing the purchase in November, during the second lockdown. They are forging ahead, with six beers launched already, and their first brews already selling out fast.
In an industry predominantly run by and marketed towards men, Newtown Park stands out, having a female head brewer and a female co-founder.
The Newtown Park Brewing Co team. Left to right are Michael McKelvaney, Lara Light-McKelvaney, and Virginia Casadio. Photograph: Newtown Park Brewery
The focus will be on modern beers with taste and quality, but with an aim to make the beer accessible to newcomers and craft beer enthusiasts alike.
Newtown Park launched with three signature craft beers: pale ale Maybe Tomorrow, 5.2% ABV (now sold out), IPA No Going Back, 6.2% ABV (also sold out), and stout Internal Monologue, 5.4% ABV.
The expanding range includes table beer All Day Long (3% ABV), pale ale Come Alive (4.2% ABV), and West Coast IPA You Don’t Have To Outrun The Bear (7.2%). All are available direct from the Newtown Park Brewing website, as well as many independent retail outlets in Bristol and across the country.
Lara has spent the last ten years working at Bart Ingredients as the brand manager, which has seen her work with big retailers, launching products, andwith a team creating new products, brands, flavours, and blends.
Virginia started by obtaining a brewing degree at DIEFFE in Padova and then embarking on a journey around Europe, interning at breweries including Strange Brew (Sweden), Oersoep (Netherlands), and Brew By Numbers (UK). Before joining Newtown Park, Virginia was brewing at Moor Beer Company.
Michael — AKA Macca — brings expertise in working with start-up companies, breweries (Verdant, LHG), creative industries (Fotomatic, Lobster Pictures), and has run his own companies for nearly a decade. He’s been a keen home brewer for many years, starting out in his Dad’s garage with fellow home brewer, Matt Hazely. They co-founded Homebrew Collab.
Newtown Park joins a thriving beer scene in Bristol. There are some 15 craft breweries around the city, including LHG, Lost & Grounded, and Wiper and True, and annual events include Bristol Craft Beer Festival and the East Bristol Brewery Trail.
Newtown Park’s St Philips brewery was formerly owned by Bristol stalwart LHG, who have expanded into nearby premises. Newtown Park will house a taproom with both indoor and outdoor seating that backs onto the popular Bristol-Bath cycle path.
Lara said: “It has been equal parts exciting to terrifying, but we are doing it and loving it! We have been very brave to do this in such uncertain times, but the initial feedback has been incredible and we are positive we can ride the wave out of all of this. We might be a small team, but we are big on passion and we hope that comes through in our beers.”
