Independent London brewery Anspach & Hobday has announced the completion of its expansion project following a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign.
The expansion is down to sky-rocketing demand for London Black, its independent nitro porter and local answer to Guinness.
The final investment figure of £661,000 was more than double the target of £300k. Sales of London Black have exploded in line with the expansion, growing to 66% of the total brewery’s current production.
The new kit brings Anspach & Hobday from a 1,400-litre to a 4,000-litre batch kit. This will raise its annual capacity from 333,000 litres to 1,000,000 litres, equating to up to 1.76m pints a year. The new brew kit sets the foundations to even grow far beyond that into the future with additional tank space.
The brewer worked with an all-star team of British manufacturers in the construction of the new kit. Fabdec’s Britanx, from Ellesmere, created the five new 8,000-litre fermentation vessels, and 6ix Process Design, from Templecombe, designed and built the brewhouse. The kettle on the brewhouse is fired by Nuneaton’s Lanemark Combustion Engineering.
Anspach & Hobday’s award-winning London Black provides drinkers and publicans with a craft alternative to macro stouts, such as Diageo’s Guinness, in London, and across the UK and Europe.
It is now pouring in more than 140 venues, from Newton Abbot to Glasgow, and even Luxembourg. You can find your nearest pint using the interactive London Black map here.
“We are incredibly proud of the British success story that this expansion represents, and I would like to thank each of the manufacturers for their great work,” said Jack Hobday, chairman and co-founder of Anspach & Hobday.
“Driven by the popularity of London Black, this fantastic new installation may mean we soon become London’s biggest independent porter brewery. ”
About London Black
London Black is Anspach & Hobday’s session strength nitro porter that takes inspiration from flagship beer, The Porter. It’s creamy, smooth, and truly sessionable.
The resulting creaminess and smooth mouthfeel from nitro brewing balance perfectly with the subtle roasted notes of coffee and chocolate.
The beer brings together the rich history and heritage of London porters with the modern techniques of brewing nitro beers. The result is a beer that is easy drinking, without sacrificing character.
About Anspach & Hobday
Founded by childhood friends Paul Anspach and Jack Hobday, the brewery launched in Bermondsey in 2014. Anspach & Hobday believe beer is about enjoyment and community. In 2019 they set up their Croydon Brewery following on from a 2018 crowdfund (542 investors, £525,250 raised, £3m valuation).
Following on from their 2021 crowdfund (869 investors, £661,262 raised, £4.9m valuation), Anspach & Hobday are set to double batch volume and efficiency, with a focus on supporting the demand and growth of their popular independent nitro porter, London Black.
Inspired by traditional styles and remade for the 21st century beer drinker, Anspach & Hobday is known for its diverse range of beers. Brewing everything from historic ales and porters to experimental sours and IPAs, all the beers are vegan friendly and made using renewable energy.
