Founded in 2015, North Brewing was rescued from administration in January 2024 following the sale of its business and assets to Vertical Drinks and Kirkstall Brewery as part of one transaction.
Despite the sale, Steve Holt of Kirkstall will continue to run the brand’s Springwell brewery, where the new owners have said that there will be no job losses.
North operates a tap room at its Springwell site, as well as 10 venues in the UK and another in Italy. Its beers are sold in UK supermarkets and bars, and are exported to 27 countries around the world.
Co-founded by John Gyngell and Christian Townsley, the pair were forced to sell last year due to “the turbulence of Covid, Brexit, material cost increases, cost of living crisis and interest rate rises”.
Keystone ‘delighted’
“We are delighted the North Brewing brand, and beers will join the Keystone family,” said Mark Williams of Keystone.
“It is a true icon with a compelling reputation for innovation and high-quality beers, and we see enormous potential to build on its success to date, growing it nationally while preserving its original Yorkshire identity.
“We are also delighted to announce that Steve Holt will be working with us, as a special advisor to our group in future. These are exciting times for Keystone, and we’re not finished yet.”
Moving forward, Keystone hopes to expand distribution nationally and internationally, part of its wider goal to build a £100m portfolio of beer and cider brands. Its current portfolio includes Black Sheep, Purity, Brick, Brew by Numbers, Big Drop, Wolf Pack, Maison SASSY Cider, Magic Rock and Fourpure.
Meanwhile, Holt said he was pleased that North beers would still be brewed and packaged at the Springwell site.
“They have the sales and marketing resources to expand distribution and accelerate the brand’s growth,” he added.
