Brewery on a mission to raise £1m to fuel dramatic expansion programme

Leeds and Manchester-based craft brewery, Northern Monk, has launched a crowdfunding campaign with three key initiatives to kick start its next chapter.

The Join the Rising campaign is seeking to raise £1m worth of funding from people wanting to own a piece of the brewery whilst supporting Northern Monk to invest in three key initiatives.

The first is to open a flagship Northern Monk venue in London; the second is an expansion of the brewery to meet demand and become carbon zero by 2030; and the third is turning Northern Monk’s original brewery site, The Old Flax Store, Leeds, into the best brewery visitor experience in the UK.

Anyone who signs up for early access can get one free pint of Northern Monk beer from the Northern Monk Refectories in Leeds and Manchester, the Northern Market in Leeds, the Lyric in Soho, London, and The Voyage of Buck in Edinburgh.

Northern Monk was founded in Bradford in 2013 and today employs more than 100 people.

Russell Bisset, co-founder and managing director, said: “From a damp cellar in Bradford, we set out with a £5,000 gift from a grandparent, a dream of a brewery that was Fresh from the North and a mission to create some of the world’s best beer experiences.

“After 11 years of brewing, we’re embarking on an exciting new era for Northern Monk, and we want to give people to chance to join us on the journey.

“We’ve only got to where we are thanks to the support of our community and this continued support has led us to a place where we can now set ourselves exciting challenges and ambitions for the future.

“We want to bring the freshest Northern Monk experience we can to the heart of the capital. A place for our community in London and beyond to congregate. An outpost for the North has always been an ambition but was knocked back due to the pandemic.

“Now, we’re ready to launch a flagship venue in the capital, before opening more tap rooms in 2025 and beyond.

“We want to expand our brewery capacity and operating efficiencies, including becoming fully self-reliant by 2035 and carbon zero in our direct operations by 2030.

“Finally, we want our original home, the Old Flax Store, to become the UK’s number one craft beer tourist destination and experience.”

Alongside the equity on offer, everyone who invests will gain access to various exclusive rewards depending on their investment level, including discounts, exclusive merch, brew days with the team, and free beer.

Since Northern Monk’s last round of investment in 2018, it has brewed more than 40 million pints, increased revenue by 400% and is now stocked in all of the UK’s major retailers.

Janice Cargo, partner at consumer specialist investment firm Active Partners, and long-standing investor in Northern Monk added: “What Russell and the team have built at Northern Monk is nothing short of exceptional.

“From their roots in the North, they have created unrivalled beer experiences for millions, built a hugely engaged, loyal community and are on track to become one of the largest craft breweries in Europe.

“With this proven track record of growth, we are excited to support the brand in its next chapter.”

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