West Berkshire Brewery expansion plans approved

“It’s a game-changer for the brewery"

WEST Berkshire Council have approved plans that will allow West Berkshire Brewery to move into larger premises.

Owing to its continuing expansion, the local brewery is set to move into the redundant dairy farm buildings adjacent to its current site on the Yattendon Estate.

The 38,000 sq ft development will provide space for a new state-of-the-art production plant, as well as for bottling, kegging and canning lines.

The brewery has raised more than £4.6m of new equity within the past two years to finance the expansion, including the recent purchase of the brewery’s first pub in London.

The new brewing plant will enable the brewery to increase production threefold initially.

However, the new site will allow the brewery to eventually produce 10 times its current output.

The bottling line will enable 6,000 bottles per hour to be bottled and the canning line will fill 12,000 330 ml cans per hour.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for the brewery and all our local shareholders,” said brewery chairman David Bruce.

“Now planning permission has been granted, builders can start on site with a view to being fully-operational by next spring.

“We have the money, we have the space, we have our brilliant team and our portfolio of award-winning beers; so now we can really start expanding our business and the future certainly looks rosy.

“What a great way for me to celebrate 50 years this month since I first learnt to brew in Berkshire at the Simonds Brewery in Reading.”

Finance director Tom Lucas added: “We’re delighted with the support from West Berkshire Council and from Yattendon Estates and we are very excited about the installation of the new brewery over the next six months.

“It means we won’t have to move again it allows us to grow organically.

“It’s a game-changer for the brewery, it really is.”