USA, TN: Blackberry Farm Brewery sold to Oldham Hospitality

There's a big change brewing at Blackberry Farm Brewery. The Maryville outpost of the well-regarded Blackberry Farm operation has been sold, the business announced Oct. 30.

Oldham Hospitality, which operates the Townsend-based restaurant Peaceful Side Social, has acquired the brewery business and Maryville taproom and will run them as Peaceful Side Brewery.

"As a young company, we are excited to expand our capabilities and continue to focus on building our products from the ground up," said Houston Oldham, director of operations for Oldham Hospitality. "Everything we do, we make it. We're excited to build a new beer brand while also honoring Blackberry Farms' legacy."

Blackberry Farm Brewery opened a taproom within its barrel-aging facility near downtown Maryville in 2019, offering 12 beers on tap and various bottles from its archive. The taproom added food last year.

Roy Milner, Blackberry Farm's chief fermentation officer, had started the brewery inside an existing dairy barn on the Walland farm in 2011. As it grew, the need for the Maryville production facility became obvious. The facility opened in 2014 and began distributing to 36 states two years later.

Milner said Blackberry Farm had started to pull back on distributing its beer a few years ago to focus on its core brand, adding that when the Oldhams expressed an interest in expanding their brewing operation, it felt like the right time to sell the brewery,

"I've known them for a decade, they're close colleagues and friends," he said. "This is a good time for everyone to create some new opportunities."

Mark and Sharon Oldham, who met at the University of Tennessee, founded Oldham Hospitality in 2014 after substantial careers in the hospitality industry.

They first acquired what has become their flagship property, Dancing Bear Lodge and Appalachian Bistro and then purchased Apple Valley Mountain Village. In 2019, Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro was named by Trip Advisor as one of America’s top 25 Most Romantic Restaurants, and it has received an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine for two years in a row.

Oldham Hospitality also owns Smoky Mountain Outdoor Center, the online-only Fudge Shop, and The Dancing Bean coffee house.

"This is absolutely an expansion," Houston Oldham said. "We're a family business that has been located in Townsend solely for the last eight years. This will be our first foray into Blount County."

Oldham said Peaceful Side got its start in brewing thanks to Albright Grove, Crafty Bastard and Fanatic breweries in Knoxville, explaining they worked very closely with them to craft the beers in their portfolio.

"What I love about craft brewing is there is a ton of collaboration across the board," he said. "We hope to continue with those local and regional breweries as we move into this new production space in Maryville."

Have no fear, Blackberry Farm Brewery fans. You don't need to rush out and stock up on your favorite brews, because Oldham Hospitality is licensed to brew its beers for the next two years.

"We've built a following and we want to continue to make those beers for the local market," Milner said. "They will continue to be produced by the same team in the same facility. In conjunction with that, we will design the Peaceful Side brand, we will bring those new beers in incrementally."

The taproom will remain open through the transition, which will occur in incremental updates beginning in December, Oldham said.

"We are very interested in growing the taproom," he said. "We are restaurant people first, and we are really looking forward to serving Maryville and are incredibly excited to have all of our beers serve all of our restaurants."

31 October, 2023