Old Dairy raises £600k to expand

06-Jul-2014 - Last updated on 07-Jul-2014 at 15:25 GMT

Related tags Beer

John Roberts, MD of the Old Diary Brewery

Old Dairy Brewery, the Kent brewer founded in 2010, has raised £600,000 for expansion and announced the appointment of former Fuller’s Beer Company managing director John Roberts to lead a strengthened board as it enters a new phase.

The money has enabled the company to move to a new 30-barrel brewery, increasing capacity six-fold, in Tenterden.

Roberts has been appointed managing director, with Peter Baker, ex-chief executive of baking group RHM, named chairman. Operations began at the new brewery this week.

Roberts told M&C Report that the Enterprise Investment Scheme fund raising programme attracted 29 investors. This included high profile figures from industry such as Alexander Hoare, former chief executive of City of London banking institution C Hoare & Co, along with other high net worth individuals and local drinkers.

Beers

Old Dairy produces three core beers — Red Top, a 3.8% ABV classic best bitter; Gold Top, a 4.3% ABV golden pale ale; and Blue Top, a 4.8% ABV India pale ale — alongside other lines.

The company currently supplies to freetrade customers and some sites operated by RealPubs, Urban Pubs and the City Pub Company, where Roberts is a non-executive director. It’s also available via the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Direct Delivery Scheme.

On the prospect of Old Dairy opening a pub, Roberts said: “I wouldn’t rule it out for the future but it’s certainly not on our radar at the moment.”