Rhymney: new brewery and two more pubs

South Wales-based brewer and pub operator Rhymney has revealed plans to buy two more pubs and relocate to a new £950,000 brewery by the end of 2011.

The family-run company currently operates the Patriot in Pontypridd, the Prince of Wales in Aberdare and the Winchester in Merthyr Tydfil. A spokeswoman said the firm hopes to increase its estate to five pubs by the end of 2011, with two new leaseholds being considered.

The new brewery, set to open in Blaenavon in October 2011, is to be twice the size of the current one in Merthyr Tydfil. The company hopes to increase production by 15% when it opens — Rhymney currently produces 1m bottles of ale each year. The aim is to branch out into new product lines.

The company expects the new visitor centre, which will offer brewery tours and sampling, to attract 20-30,000 people per year.

Rhymney Brewery chief executive Steve Evans said: "The move to Blaenavon isn't simply to increase production; the purpose is to tell the story of real ale in a modern, interactive environment which will attract tourists to the area."

Rhymney Brewery was founded in 2004 by father and son Steve and Marc Evans. Its predecessor company, which has its origins in the eighteenth century, was bought by Whitbread in 1960, and the brewery was closed in 1978.