[L]ake District brewery Hawkshead has agreed a deal with the global German manufacturer, Krones, to build a state-of-the-art new brewery, part of a £3 million two site brewery expansion scheme.
Krones will install a turn-key 40 Barrel (6,500 litre) rapid-batch brewhouse, capable of multiple brews per day, on a site in South Cumbria, near the existing brewery.
Hawkshead’s existing brewery at Staveley will continue in production, concentrating on small batch specialist and limited edition beers. It currently produces 7,000 barrels (11,500 Hectolitres) per year.
Head Brewer Matt Clarke said: “Our current 20 Brl plant is the perfect size for innovation and experimentation. But we also need more volume. By adding the new Krones-Steinecker brew house, the best in the business, we will free up space at Staveley for more small-batch projects, including our barrel ageing programme. For the first time, we will have space, space to breathe and to grow.”
The new brewery will be built on a site owned by Hawkshead’s parent company, Halewood International, whose CEO Stewart Hainsworth, said: “Hawkshead make great beers and cannot keep up with demand. We are investing both in a new brewery and in the existing one – to grow Hawkshead but also to protect and develop its wide portfolio of innovative limited edition beers. Hawkshead is the real thing – an authentic modern craft brewery. We want to keep it that way, as it expands.”
Hawkshead’s founder and managing director, Alex Brodie said: “The brewery is 15 years old and it has been straining at the leash for years. Halewood’s backing allows us go to the next level.”
“Hawkshead is known for its commitment to cask ale, which is 65% of current output,” said Brodie. “We will be expanding production of keg, can and bottle, but we will also grow cask. Cask ale is Britain’s craft. We believe in it and, more to the point, so do most beer lovers, especially here in the North.”
Mark Heath, Sales Director of Krones UK, said: “This is an important and innovative project for us. It’s our first 40 Barrel MicroCube system in the UK. It will be a showcase for us, demonstrating how rapid-batch brewing can future-proof a modern small brewery, giving it volume without the need to install a huge brew-house. We are delighted to have won the contract to help grow Hawkshead’s impressive range of flavoursome beers.”