Award-winning local business,
Wye Valley
Brewery, have been able to improve their operations following the award
of a Marches Building Investment Grant (MBIG) from the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via Herefordshire Council.
Wye Valley Brewery
Since
1985, family-owned Wye Valley Brewery have been producing cask, keg and
bottle beers using quality ingredients sourced from local farms.
The
brewery was started by ex-Guinness brewer, Peter Amor, using the
outbuildings of a small rural pub to brew his first beers. Fast
forward nearly 35 years, Wye Valley Brewery is now brewing
and delivering more than 12 million pints a year to 1,200 pubs,
restaurants and bars throughout the West Midlands and South Wales.
Relocating
the brewery in 2001, to the former Symonds Cider site in Stoke Lacy,
started a decade of investment and expansion to cope with the business’
growing demands. This included a bottling
line in 2009 to take advantage of demand from supermarkets and
wholesalers, and then a new brewhouse in 2013, to increase brewing
capacity. However, with double the beer being produced, the brewery
needed to be able to store and deliver more.
Grant funding
Marches
Building Investment Grant (MBIG) funding of £100k from the ERDF has
enabled Wye Valley Brewery to extend an existing building at the rear of
their 9-acre site, providing much-needed
additional storage at optimum temperatures and multi-level loading bays
to maximise the brewery’s distribution of its products. The new
facilities also allow the consolidation of cask washing/filling
operations and storage in one building, improving efficiency
and safety.
The works were completed in December 2018 and have created 5 additional jobs to date.
Vernon Amor, Managing Director of Wye Valley Brewery, said:
“We
are delighted to have completed our latest significant investment at Wye
Valley Brewery with assistance from the Marches Building Investment
Grant Scheme, care of the ERDF. Our new building improves
our efficiency and helps towards our ‘green’ goals. For the first time,
we’ve our cask-washing, filling, storing and loading bays under one
roof, as well as additional roof space to increase our solar PV
installations.”
Cllr Trish Marsh, Cabinet Member for Environment, Economy and Skills, said:
“The
council are delighted to have been able to allocate Marches Building
Investment Grant funding to allow Wye Valley Brewery to continue to
flourish. It is one of our priorities to support the growth
of our local economy and it is wonderful to see a local business
continue to expand, attracting investment, creating jobs, and providing
the county with a range of delicious beverages!”
ERDF
funds are nearly fully committed in Herefordshire, but the council is
bidding for more funds and hopes to continue the scheme for a further
three years.
If you are interested in applying for funding please contact 01432 260662.
Any businesses
and community groups can explore the range of funding and grant options
available in the county at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/funding