As the company, which invested £14m into its Brewpoint brewery in 2020, celebrates 150 years of family ownership, it stated this new venture will concentrate on “exploring and developing opportunities for future growth”.
Wells & Co added: “Beer and brewing will remain at the heart of Wells & Co but the collective will create dedicated space to explore what else could complement its pubs, its brewery and the wider business.
“Its focus will be deliberately broad, exploring new products, experiences and opportunities beyond the existing business, inspired by how people are choosing to eat, drink and socialise.”
Continued to evolve
The Beyond Beer Collective will build on Brewpoint, which it said “brings together modern brewing and packaging capabilities with an experienced team and long-standing relationships across the pub and brewing industries”, and use internal and external expertise, including its partnership with malt supplier Muntons, to explore new ideas, test opportunities and learn what has the potential to grow.
Wells & Co CEO Peter Wells said: “Throughout 150 years of family ownership, Wells & Co has continued to evolve. Each generation has responded to changing tastes and new opportunities while staying true to what makes us distinctive.
“Beer and brewing will always be at the heart of who we are, but we’re also curious about what comes next. The Beyond Beer Collective gives us the freedom to explore new ideas, learn what resonates with guests and back the opportunities we believe have real potential.
“As we celebrate our first 150 years, it feels like the right time to look ahead and ask where the next opportunities might come from.”
Foddy to lead collective
The Beyond Beer Collective will be led by Tom Foddy, who has spent more than 15 years at Wells & Co, including as commercial director, with a strong background in innovation and new product development. He is also regional director for SIBA East.
Foddy said: “There are lots of interesting ideas and opportunities out there, both within our own business and beyond it. The exciting part is giving ourselves the space to explore them properly.
“The advantage for us is that we can bring those ideas to our guests first, see what genuinely excites them and learn quickly. When we find something that works, we can then look at how to build on it and where it could take us.”
The collective is exploring a number of early concepts, with further opportunities expected to emerge from across Wells & Co’s network and through external partnerships.
Wells & Co operates 160 pubs in the UK and 19 in France, under the John Bull brand.
