Former Nottingham Trent University students and business partners, Al Squires and Will Barratt, of Just BS creative agency, have launched their own lager.
After trialling the product while running a bar project, Al and Will are launching Hockley Brew Co’s6 first product, Hockley Helles Lager (4% ABV).
While finishing their final year of university, Will and Al recently completed their first major project, a successful transformation of Wolf Italian Street Food restaurant on Market Street, Nottingham, into a fully operational cocktail bar, called Code 34.
It was during this project, when seeking a truly local beer offering, the pair recognised there was plenty of independent craft ale, but no Nottingham brewery offered a lager. They trialled Hockley Helles at Code 34 in April, and it was a resounding success.
The team have now begun pushing the lager across Nottingham’s independent venues, and Hockley Helles is already available in nearly 20 places across the city.
Al said: “Nottingham is a fantastic city with some of the best independent and creative businesses, and our mission with Hockley Brew Co is to champion that creative spirit with a unique new product. We were tired of seeing the same lagers in every bar and wanted to develop a brand that we could relate to.
“The lager market is dominated by big brands that are owned by some of the biggest global companies. We’re entering a tough market, but we know consumers want something different and independent.”
Will added: “Hockley is currently being contract brewed, but the ambition is to raise funds and invest in our own purpose-built lager brewery and tap, with key fundamentals of being sustainable, creating local jobs, and keeping out the big boys.
“Independently owned, Hockley Brew Co embodies all things Hockley, from its creative and innovative core, through to its focus upon championing community and supporting local businesses.”
