Bath Ales has officially opened its new state-of-the-art brewhouse, doubling its capacity and opening up the possibility of a wider range of beers.
Hare Brewery in Warmley, between Bath and Bristol, is the result of a multi-million pound investment by Bath Ales’ parent group St Austell Brewery, which acquired the firm in 2016.
The four-vessel brewery, on the site of Bath Ales’ original brewery, will enable it to produce 50,000 brewers’ barrels of beer – close to 14.5m pints – a year.
More than 500 guests attended the celebrations on Tuesday, with the brewery officially opened by Bath Rugby chief executive Tarquin McDonald.
Senior brewer Darren James, who has been at Bath Ales for more than 15 years, said: “Opening Hare Brewery – which we’ve built from the ground up – is a very exciting moment for everyone involved.
“Extra capacity means more beer for Bath Ales’ drinkers including our flagship ale Gem. And we’ve already started brewing a wider range of beer styles on the new equipment including Sulis, our first lager.
“We’re quite literally opening the doors to the brewhouse in that beer fans will be able to see it for themselves – we’ll be holding regular brewery tours which means that people can see our new kit and visit our tap room to taste our beers at their freshest.”
To mark the occasion a bronze hare statue, crafted by Cornish artist Hamish Mackie, was unveiled – a symbolic gesture to mark the coming together of Bath and Cornwall following St Austell’s 2016 acquisition of Bath Ales.
Brewing director Roger Ryman, who oversees brewing and production at Bath Ales and St Austell Brewery, said: “From the very start of the project we’ve all shared a clear vision for Hare Brewery: to build one of the region’s most technologically advanced and fully bespoke brewhouses. To see this come to fruition today is a milestone moment for us.
“We hope the new brewery will play its part in shining a light on the vibrant South West beer scene. Since Bath Ales joined the St Austell Brewery family, there’s been a continued passion and appreciation of only brewing the highest quality beers. Our commitment to building the new brewery demonstrates our commitment to the brand’s long-term future.”
St Austell Brewery chief executive James Staughton welcomed guests and local officials to the brewery. He said: “We’re delighted to be up and running, brewing beer and welcoming visitors to Hare Brewery. As the South West’s most sophisticated and technologically advanced brewhouse, it’s a project that we’re immensely proud of.
“Today’s official opening marks the culmination of two years’ hard work since we acquired Bath Ales. I’m thrilled that we’re all here today to celebrate the next chapter in the storybook that is Bath Ales and the coming together of two South West businesses with shared values.”
Hare Brewery was built by internationally-renowned Musk Engineering, based in Derbyshire.
