Butcombe makes £4m investment in brewery operations

Propel Info, 26th October 2017

Butcombe Brewery, part of Liberation Group, has made a £4m investment in its brewing business in the West Country. The brewer has invested in four new projects, including a new craft beer production unit, newly installed packaging lines, alongside a beer storage and delivery facility in Bridgwater, Somerset. In addition, there will be investment at the existing brewery to increase capacity. The investment will see Butcombe install a bottling and kegging line at its second site to bring the quality control of its bottled and kegs beers back in house. The development will support the double-digit growth in its keg range. The new brewery facility and distribution unit’s proximity to the M5 will allow for faster distribution across its heartland and further afield. Butcombe is also investing in its current brewery through the purchase of extra fermentation and conditioning vessels to improve capacity and capability. The improvements to the brewery will allow Butcombe to produce up to an additional 40,000 barrels of beer per year. Steve Wilkinson, managing director of brewing and brands at Butcombe Brewery, said: “This significant investment will provide us with a new platform to better service our loyal Butcombe customers more effectively at a lower cost, which we intend to reinvest in our Butcombe beer brands to secure our future growth, and keep pace with the increasing demand for all of our new beers. Bringing our packaging ‘in-house’ will give us better quality control over our brands and enhance our capability. The investment in specialist bottling and kegging equipment is a rare opportunity for a regional brewer of our size to really gear up and satisfy the rapidly changing market, to redouble our efforts in our heartland with Butcombe cask beers at the centre of what we do supported by the same consistent quality beers in bottle and keg. These improvements will allow us to ensure we retain and enhance our quality reputation while stepping up production to move closer to our long-term goal of becoming the number one regional brewer.”