Craft brewer invests £850k in new site
The move into the new site saw the end of an 18-month journey for the beer firm, with the company settling into the new 1,858m2 brewery – three times the size of its original premises at Grimbald Park near Knaresborough.
Designed by head brewer Oliver Fozard and using British-made equipment sourced from UK manufacturers, the new brewery was expected to almost double Rooster’s Brewing Co’s production capacity, with opportunities to expand and increase this further in the long-term.
Second, smaller plant
Rooster’s has also invested in a smaller, 1,600-litre brewing plant for use in the production of an ongoing range of limited-edition beers that will form part of an ‘experimental’ sub-brand called the Outlaw Project.
Fozard said the new brewery would open up new opportunities for the business as it continued to focus on brewing consistent and well-balanced beers.
“Not only does it enable us to significantly increase our production output for our ever-expanding range of beers but, with the addition of the smaller plant, we now also have an exciting opportunity to channel the pioneering creativity we’re known for and create a range of exciting, inspiring, flavour-filled limited-edition beers that bring something completely new and different to the market,” he explained.
Beer in the community
The investment in the Harrogate site also included a taproom that featured a street food kitchen, with a different street food trader setting up shop each weekend.
Commercial director Tom Fozard added: “Harrogate is in Rooster’s DNA, it’s where the brewery first started life, so it’s extra-special to be able to bring the company home.”
Meanwhile, last month, Yorkshire-based Heck invested £1.5m in new sausage and burger machinery on the back of increased demand for vegan and chicken products.
