Brewing industry veteran Rupert Thompson has agreed an investment deal with London craft brewer Mondo, securing the future of its brands, brewery and Battersea taproom.
Rupert, owner of Hogs Back Brewery, becomes chairman of a new company, Mondo Beer Ltd, working to support the management team, led by Mondo founder and managing director Todd Matteson.
Under the agreement, Hogs Back will support Mondo as a sister business in areas such as packaging, sales, and marketing, while Mondo will be the exclusive distributor in London of beers from Hogs Back new subsidiary One Planet Brewing, launched last year and brewing with 100% solar power.
“I’ve known and respected the founders of Mondo, Todd and Tom, for several years,” said Rupert. “We’ve sold their beers in our brewery shop, and we brewed a collaboration beer in 2022.
“It is a challenging market, but despite that Mondo has been growing. The beers and branding are excellent, and I think they have a bright future ahead. Customers want to see imaginative independent and local brands that are not owned by global brewers.”
Todd Matteson said: “We found ourselves in a situation where there is strong demand for our beers, but we were hit by all the challenges that have beset so many small brewers. So, it’s wonderful that Rupert has been able to help, and this allows us to move forward.
“His experience of developing successful beer brands will be invaluable and we’re delighted to have him working with us at Mondo Beer, and to have the back-up of Hogs Back Brewery.
“We are also excited to have exclusivity for One Planet beers in London. The 100% solar brewed commitment is completely different, and we think it will really resonate with our customers.”
With a growing number of independent brewers having closed over recent months, Rupert believes alliances such as the new one between Hogs Back and Mondo offer a way forward for the sector.
He said: “I firmly believe that, now more than ever, brewers with similar outlooks and independence of spirit need to work together to maintain the diversity at the heart of British beer culture.”
