Open Gate Brewery London managing director Jason Thorndycraft, who has been in hospitality for a number years, snapped up the chance to come back to London to lead the new site.
“Covent Garden has got a rich history of brewing - and a connection with Guinness too,” he said.
Creativity and experimentation is the order of the day for the on-site microbrewery, which will serve but not brew Guinness.
Creating 250 jobs
The £73m Open Gate Brewery London will kick off with 11 beers available, comprising of a core range of four from the microbrewery, rotational specials, Guinness, of course, and will always have a low & no offer too.
Community ties will also be key to the 54,000sq ft site that is housed between a number of buildings in Covent Garden - and it’s not just a microbrewery... there’s an event space that can be hired, retail area with exclusive clothing collaborations, a brewery tour, bars and two restaurants, led by executive chef Pip Lacey.
Thorndycraft added: “It’s spread over four buildings and five different areas. Very excitingly, we’re creating more than 250 jobs.”
Meanwhile, master brewer Hollie Stephenson, who joined the London site from Diageo’s Open Gate Brewery Baltimore site, in the US, said the “super-small” microbrewery can produce 30 x 50-litre kegs in a single batch but Open Gate Brewery Dublin can make the annual total of London by lunchtime in any working day.
It’s fun
“It’s experimenting, it’s fun, it’s beer we want to drink with food – we want to show what we can make and bring people together,“ she explained. “You’ll see new beers monthly if not weekly.”
The core beers are Covent Classic IPA 4.4% ABV, The Brewer’s Lager 4.9%, Old Brewer’s Yard Porter 4.7% ABV and Piazza Pale Ale 5.2% ABV.
Two other beers are currently being brewed, which are Winter Warmer 6.5% ABV and Apricot Sour 3.9% ABV.
“We have freedom to create and brew whatever we want,” Stephenson said.
