Weekender: Brewery launches crowdfunding campaign

Northern Monk Brewing Co is looking to raise more than £500,000 through a crowd funding campaign as it plans to triple capacity and install a new packaging line and fast-track plans for additional tap rooms.

The Leeds-based company started in a parents cellar 2013 with just £5,000. In 2014, they renovated The Old Flax store, and with three full time staff members and three brewing vessels, began making beer in their new home.

Fast forward to 2018 and the business has 30 members of staff, has sold their beer to 22 countries (including USA, New Zealand and Japan), effectively doubled turnover  each year for the past three years and is set to brew more than three million pints in 2018.

With the investment, eight 10,000 litre fermentation vessels will be purchased and a state of the art packaging line improving quality, efficiency and speed will be introduced.

Northern Monk said it more than the £500,000 target is raised, a second tap room will open too, with London or Manchester the preferred location.

Quote from Russ Bisset, owner of Northern Monk Brewing Co, said: “In 2013 we set out to make some of the best beer in the world with just £5,000. In 2014, we launched our own brewery. In the four years since, we’ve been rated one of the worlds top 100 breweries, we’ve sold beer to 22 countries across the world and we’re hoping to turnover £4,000,000 by the end of this financial year. It’s been a wild four years. This is your chance to join us for the rest of it.”

The first round of investment launches on February 26.