New project for ex-Tomos Watkin boss

The founder of the Tomos Watkin brewery, Simon Buckley, has submitted plans to open a 3,500-barrel capacity brewery and pub in Llandeilo, Camarthenshire. The scheme also involves a visitor centre, due for completion in May next year, that will be the first of its kind in Wales with "interactive and hands-on" features designed to appeal to the tourist market. It will show the brewing process for cask conditioned ales and details of the history of the Welsh brewing industry. The new business is registered as Buckley Bros Brewing & Bottling Ltd with the brewery trading as Evan Evans, named after Simon Buckley's grandfather and his business in Llanelli. "This substantial investment will put the Buckley family back in brewing big time," said chairman Simon Buckley. The brewery is scheduled to open at the former Camarthenshire County Council highways site in late September or early October. Buckley added: "We have set up a pub company, Buckley Bros Ltd, with one pub, and we are putting a group together. "This exciting project will create up to 30 new jobs over the next three years, with the development of a high quality cask ale brewing plant, educational and tourist visitor centre and a new purpose-built public house. "When the second and third phases come on stream in the spring of 2004, we will aim to attract visitors from all over the world to what will be Llandeilo's first major tourist attraction inside the town itself. "We have the plant and will have three main beer brands plus four to six seasonals. "We will reveal details of these later but we have already pre-sold much of our first year of production.