Australia: BrewDog exploring possible locations for its first brewery in Australia

BrewDog has set its sights on establishing a brewing facility in Australia, insider.co.uk reported on July 25.

The Ellon, UK-based brewer, which sold a 22 per cent stake in the business for £213 mln to US-based private equity group TSG Consumer Partners in April, has appointed in-house staffer Zarah Prior to lead its Australian business.

Prior, an Australian, was previously ‘Head of People’ at BrewDog's Ellon headquarters.

BrewDog said it is currently exploring “possible locations” for a new brewery facility in Australia, with initial searches focused on the Brisbane and Newcastle areas.

The brewer said it is “open” to re-developing an existing industrial site with a 2,000 to 4,000 square meter (21,500 sq ft – 43,000 sq ft) built-up facility or for land capable of housing a new-build facility “of that size with expansion capabilities in the future”.

Commenting on the plans for Australia, Prior said: “Our Australian Equity Punk community has been crying out for BrewDog to set up shop closer to home, so we are excited to finally be making that happen.

“We’ve thrived on the loyalty that our shareholders and peers have shown over the past 10 years, and we can’t wait to deliver brewery-fresh beers to our Equity Punks and BrewDog fans in Australia.”

BrewDog is set to launch a new 100,000 sq ft brewing facility in Columbus, Ohio, which was set back as a result of delay in shipping key equipment.

The Ohio facility, once live, will support an annual capacity of 640,000 barrels with an initial fermentation capacity for 85,000 barrels though over the long term Brewdog said the site could support “an annual capacity in excess of 1.5 million barrels”.

A new 300 hectolitre brewhouse also came online at the Ellon site last year.

25 July, 2017