Freedom Brewery, the pioneering lager brewer, has announced the appointment of James Coyle as executive chairman.
The former managing director of Edinburgh craft brewer Innis & Gunn, James (pictured) has a wealth of experience within the beer market, having held previous roles as deputy managing director of Marston’s Beer Company, and sales director of Wychwood Brewery. He has assumed the new role with immediate effect.
Founded in Parsons Green, London, in 1995, Freedom Brewery relocated to Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire, in 2004, where it has built a modern 40,000hl brewery, with purpose-built kegging, canning, and bottling lines to meet the growing demand for their unpasteurised lagers.
It has won the green brewer of the year award for its sustainable brewing and is one of the few brewers to champion organic lager, through its Organic Helles. All of its beer is 100% vegan certified.
James said: “Freedom Brewery was the original craft lager specialist, a real pioneer. I have been an admirer of their beers since inception and am delighted to be joining at this exciting time as we look to accelerate growth following considerable investment in doubling the capacity of our brewery and installation of new canning and kegging lines within the last 12 months.
“We see a great future for British craft lager and aim to be at the forefront of meeting the growing demand for authentic, natural, and sustainable beers.”
Managing director, Matt Willson, added: “I’m delighted to have James on board to support the growth of our business. His experience in building leading craft beer brands, overseeing capital investment projects, and developing inspiring marketing campaigns will be a great support to me and the wider team.
“We’re on track to double our volume to 40,000hl, and our ambition is to achieve 100,000hl in the coming years. We are planning additional investment in our marketing and brewery as we are currently running at capacity and overwhelmed by the support from our customers and drinkers.”
