Brewery stretches crowdfunding target to secure kit, and first employee

A craft lager brewery has extended a funding target so it can buy new machinery, and employ its first member of staff.

Manchester Union Brewery launched an £80,000 crowdfunding campaign to kickstart its transition from keg to can.

But having passed its initial £40,000 target ahead of a June 16 deadline, it has created a stretch target for its ‘Together We CAN’ campaign and now hopes to raise £60,000.

After losing its revenue overnight due to the UK-wide lockdown, the brewery sought to raise funds to break into commercial retail by moving its product from keg to can.

Around 500 pledgers have so far committed to the campaign, meaning the target was reached a week ahead of its deadline.

The funds raised will be put towards the necessary materials for canning the brewery’s craft lager, but an additional £20,000 will provide the business with the funds to put a deposit down on its own canning machine to lower the cost of canning and allow them to can small batches of seasonal and limited edition beer.

If met, the stretch target will also enable Manchester Union Brewery to hire its first employee.

Brewery director, Jamie Scahill, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support and generosity we’ve received during this challenging time.

“When the lockdown put a stop to business as usual, we knew we would have to be bold and act fast in order to keep the business afloat – but without the help of more than 500 supporters who’ve pledged money to help us, it simply wouldn’t be possible for us to branch out into commercial retail as we’re now able to do.

“Grateful is an understatement – we’re so appreciative and over the moon at having hit our original £40K target – and to now be in a position to stretch that target and hopefully afford our own canning machine and an employee is beyond what any of us hoped for from this campaign.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported our cause.”

The team at Manchester Union Brewery has released a short video thanking all those who’ve pledged money to their cause so far and to share updates on the progress of the crowdfunder and its impact on the business.

Manchester Union Brewery crafts its signature lager at Manchester’s first, and only dedicated, craft lager brewery, located in Ardwick.

Fusing traditional central European lager brewing techniques with a modern local twist, and water from the Lake District, Manchester Union Brewery is able to create a unique legacy beer.

The truly Mancunian lager boasts a bold, silky-mouth feel with a touch of caramel sweetness, followed swiftly with a refreshingly dry and bitter finish from the central European hops.