Curious to ‘double in size’ after Wild Beer buy
Curious Brewery, which was acquired out of the Chapel Down English wine business, reached an agreement to add Wild Beer Co to its portfolio of beers, which includes Millionaire Milk Stout, Pogo Fruit Pale ale and Sleeping Lemons gose.
It said the acquisition will double the size of the existing Curious operation in Ashford, Kent, where it has a current production capacity of 5m pints per year and potential to expand upwards of 15m.
Creative spirit
Curious Brewery chairman Mark Crowther said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with some of the original team from Wild Beer Co to maintain the original innovative and creative spirit of that business.
“Adding their delicious craft beers to our stable of award-winning premium brands, Wild Beer Co’s range fits perfectly alongside our existing portfolio, delivering a range of interesting and differentiated beers.
“The Wild Beer Co acquisition brings a lot of positives including high-quality beers and distinctive brands, impressive distribution in both the on and off-trade, as well as a significant direct-to-consumer e-commerce operation.”
Sure footing
He continued: “This new chapter for Wild Beer Co will bring some stability, placing the business on a sure footing. For Curious, this is an important step in our journey to become one of the UK’s leading brewers of specialist, premium beer and ciders.”
As part of the deal, Curious Brewery intends to honour the subscriptions and regular discounts available to current members of Wild Beer Co’s Secret Cellar Club and previous shareholders.
Curious Brewery was acquired in April 2021 from Chapel Down by a team led by Crowther and backed by Risk Capital Partners, the private equity firm led by Luke Johnson. Prior to the change of ownership, a new multimillion-pound freehold brewery was built in 2019. Located in Ashford, Kent, opposite the international train station, it includes a visitor centre, taproom and a 120-cover bar-restaurant.
