Taxpayer to fund two breweries

Two brewers, Heidi Beers and Brewdog, are the recipients of Scottish government grants awarded to a total of 32 companies under the latest rounds of food and drink funding. On 15 September 2012, it was announced that Heidi and BrewDog have been given grants totalling GBP 2.4 million to help them relocate production to Scotland.

Glasgow’s Heidi Beers (aka West Brewery), which was set up in 2009 by the German-born Petra Wetzel, has received GBP 1.85 million towards expansion plans that will support 18 new employees and see all production move to a new facility in Scotland, relocating the 70 percent of their operations currently based in Germany. Heidi hopes to soon source over 90 percent of its barley from Scotland and launch a new low-alcohol lager.

Aberdeenshire-based BrewDog will receive GBP 551,000 towards a new brewery in Ellon, in a move that will create 16 new jobs and enable it to relocate to Scotland some contracted-out production volume from England and Belgium. A new storage facility will see BrewDog increase its Scottish-sourced barley from 10 percent to 50 percent and develop a non-alcoholic malt-based soft drink range.

Founded in 2007, BrewDog isn’t exactly a start-up. The Scottish brewer and pub operator, with a penchant for hard-core beers and sloganeering, already runs bars in seven cities in Scotland and the UK. Three sites in Birmingham, Bristol and London are due to open this month. The company also plans to open its first dedicated brewpub in Hackney, east London, once Hackney Council gives its ok, M&C wrote on 28 September 2012. The place will resemble “a pirate, ramshackle Punk DIY brewpub that people can relate to.” Hark their words.