St Austell Brewery has taken a minority share in Harbour Brewing. The breweries already have a long history of collaboration. The deal will see Harbour beers reach a wider market.
Harbour founder, Eddie Lofthouse, said: “We’ve always had a fantastic relationship with St Austell Brewery. When we first started in 2012, they did our bottling before we had the equipment to do it ourselves, and the former brewing director Roger Ryman was a mentor and good friend.
“Since then we’ve built strong relationships across the business, from the brewery team to the board, based on shared values of independence, quality and our connection to Cornwall.
“St Austell Brewery is a world-class brewer, and the leading distributor in the South West, with a vast network of high-quality pubs and bars. Our new partnership means we can reach people all across our home county, who otherwise may not have had the opportunity to try our beers.”
Harbour Brewing’s production will remain at its site in Kirland, close to Bodmin in Cornwall. The brewery’s whole range will be available to St Austell venues, including its core beers such as Daymer pale ale (3.8% ABV), Singlefin lager (4% ABV), Big Wednesday IPA (5.6% ABV), and Arctic Sky cold IPA (4.3% ABV).
Kevin Georgel, chief executive at St Austell Brewery, said: “This is a very exciting investment for us. The Harbour team has done an incredible job of building the brand over the past decade, and their beers are truly loved by those in the know.
“For us, this investment is representative of our desire to bring new beers to our customers, with a focus on craftsmanship and quality. We know Harbour’s brands will be popular in pubs and bars across our region and we can’t wait to work with the team, developing their great beers throughout our home county of Cornwall and the wider South West.”
Harbour Brewing was founded in 2012. The multi-award-winning brewery currently sells to pubs and restaurants throughout the UK, including Hawksmoor Group, Blacklock, JKS Group, The Tate Galleries, and Mitchells & Butlers, as well as Cornish hotspots Watergate Bay Hotel, Nancarrow Farm, and Nathan Outlaw.
Harbour also has listings in several national supermarkets, including Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Marks & Spencer.
Eddie added: “From the customer’s perspective, Harbour will continue to be the brewery people know and love — it will just be much more readily available.
“We’ll be increasing the volume of beer we produce, but the ingredients, recipes, techniques and relentless attention to detail will remain the same.”
