ARRAN Brewery is expanding south of the border with the purchase of a small brewery in Cambridgeshire.
The acquisition of Devil’s Dyke Brewery is described as a “strategic purchase” to help take Arran beers south of the border, as well as bringing brews from the Cambridgeshire producer to Scotland.
Gerald Michaluk, managing director of the Arran Brewery, said: “This small 2.5 barrel brewery is a strategic purchase to launch our Arran beers into the south east and of course London.
“We will be adding 100 casks to our cask stock and will be adding their beers to our range in Scotland as well as introducing our Arran range to the south east of England.”
Michaluk said the Devil’s Dyke Brewery logo will be redesigned and a brewer assigned to start production of its ale range in addition to the development of new beers “with an Arran twist”.
“There is good demand in the area for Arran beer and we, from time to time, have sold beer locally,” said Michaluk.
“The Devil’s Dyke brand is well known and will remain associated with the Dykes End public house, to the rear of which the brewery is located.”
Meanwhile, in Scotland, the company has acquired the former Bowers bar in Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire, and plans to refurbish and reopen the pub as The Weavers.
The 3300 sq ft site in the town centre takes its new name from Kilbirnie’s historic ties to the weaving industry.
The Weavers will be the company’s second on-trade venue. Arran’s Loch Earn Brewery and Hotel in St Fillans operates three bars.
Michaluk said the firm hoped to transform the Kilbirnie bar into a local food-led establishment offering the brewer’s ales and lagers as well as other “fine Arran and Ayrshire fare”.
Arran Brewery’s planned Sake brewery is currently under development in nearby Dreghorn.
Michaluk said: “As we start to develop our new Arran View Brewery, not too far away in Dreghorn, we want to expand the number of bars we operate, and as we have found a very high quality pool of labour in North Ayrshire. We want to play a small part in the rejuvenation of the area; we are on the lookout for further local opportunities that will build our business and release the huge talents we have found in the people of North Ayrshire.”
Arran Brewery will seek to raise funds to increase its expansion through a second round of crowdfunding, which will be offered to investors in May and June.
