Wells & Co is looking to the future with the launch of The Beyond Beer Collective, a venture focused on exploring and developing opportunities for growth. It comes as the company celebrates its 150th anniversary.
Beer and brewing will remain at the heart of the company, but the Collective will create dedicated space to explore what else could complement its pubs, its brewery, and the wider business.
Its focus will be deliberately broad, exploring new products, experiences, and opportunities beyond the existing business, inspired by how people are choosing to eat, drink, and socialise.
At the heart of this is Brewpoint, Wells & Co’s state-of-the-art brewery and production facility in Bedford, which brings together modern brewing and packaging capabilities with an experienced team and long-standing relationships across the pub and brewing industries.
The Beyond Beer Collective will build on that platform, bringing together internal and external expertise, including its partnership with Muntons, to explore new ideas, test opportunities and learn what has the potential to grow.
“Throughout 150 years of family ownership, Wells & Co has continued to evolve,” said chief executive Peter Wells. “Each generation has responded to changing tastes and new opportunities, while staying true to what makes us distinctive.
“Beer and brewing will always be at the heart of who we are, but we’re also curious about what comes next. The Beyond Beer Collective gives us the freedom to explore new ideas, learn what resonates with guests, and back the opportunities we believe have real potential.
“As we celebrate our first 150 years, it feels like the right time to look ahead and ask where the next opportunities might come from.”
The Beyond Beer Collective will be led by Tom Foddy, who has spent more than 15 years at Wells & Co, some of that time as commercial director. He has a strong background in innovation and new product development. He is also regional director for SIBA East.
He said: “There are lots of interesting ideas and opportunities out there, both within our own business and beyond it. The exciting part is giving ourselves the space to explore them properly.
“The advantage for us is that we can bring those ideas to our guests first, see what genuinely excites them and learn quickly. When we find something that works, we can then look at how to build on it and where it could take us.”
