The first steps to enable this growth have started with a new bigger facility opened in the last few weeks to house the transport and logistics team.
Other functions will be transferred in the next few weeks and months enabling capacity to be expanded, creating further employment, whilst maintaining service and quality to customers and consumers.
Roger Jones, MD of Bath Ales, said: “This is tremendously exciting for us and presents an opportunity to really kick on and have our beers enjoyed by more people and further afield. But what is really important is that we get this right and that we absolutely preserve, even enhance, our reputation for producing great beers of consistent quality.
“Hence in terms of the brewing kit, we will use our existing facility until a new brewhouse is established to our exacting specification – and that might take up to 18 months.”
The new site is less than a mile from the existing premises in Warmley on the outskirts of Bristol (UK). At around 38,000sqft it is more than four times the size of the present base at Caxton Business Park.
Jones added: “We are delighted with where we are now and we have the brewery working a treat, however, our success means that we need a bigger site to give us the scale to develop.
“Doing it this way means no disruption to our customers and everyone who loves a pint of Gem. It also enables us to configure a new operation that delivers greater efficiency and means we can integrate more environmental features like renewable energy.
“And, for us as brewers, we will have the flexibility and scope to create different and interesting beers that tempt new drinkers as well as excite those that already enjoy cask ale. The investment in new brewing equipment alone will exceed a million, so we are serious about the bright future we see for Bath Ales.”
As the business ramps up operations it is already looking to add another six full-time members of staff to bring the brewery-based personnel to just shy of 60. Across an estate of seven pubs another 110 people are employed.
The market for quality cask and bottled beer has been the one growth area in an otherwise hard-pressed brewing sector in recent years.
Source: Bath Ales
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