Bar group joins forces with restaurateurs to launch Leeds brewery
LEEDS bar group North Bar and the team behind Belgrave Music Hall and Headrow House have joined forces to launch a new brewery and a 200-capacity tap room in the city.
The 15 barrel ale brewery opened at the end of November at Taverner’s Walk Industrial Estate initially serving the eight bars belonging to the bar groups.
Seb Brink, formerly of Golden Owl and Darius Darwell of Bristol Beer Factory are behind the new range of beers.
Christian Townsley, director of North Brewing Co, said: “We’ve been talking about opening a brewery for over ten years, to finally see it become reality is amazing and we’re all really excited about the future.”
Belgrave Music Hall opened in 2014 and the team have followed that success with the opening of Headrow House in October of this year.
North Bar opened in 1997 and since then has worked closely with beer importers such as James Clay of Elland and Vertical Drinks of Leeds.
The group, which operates six venues in Leeds, is undergoing a significant wave of growth with work underway on a new venture in Harrogate and another site in Leeds city centre,
The company is expanding with help from law firm Chadwick Lawrence and with support from Natwest Bank.
Christian Townsley, director of North Bar Ltd, said: “North Brewing Company is the next logical step in our business growth, but it doesn’t come without a challenge as over the last eighteen years our customers have come to expect only the best from us.
“We believe that even in the current competitive climate in British brewing there’s an opportunity for a team willing to produce well crafted classics as well as more challenging beer styles.
“At the same time we’re opening something unique in Leeds – a proper tap within the brewery, where customers will be sitting amongst the action.
“We’ve big plans for the brewery and the tap, the opening months will be about ensuring we’ve consistency in our brews and our systems are tight, then we’ll look to packaging and distributing our beers, while developing the offering within the tap, with parties, tasting events, craft fairs, you name it.”
John Gyngell, director of North Bar Ltd, said: “In the tap we have an exciting new venue that we worked hard to ensure still felt like a part of the brewery, we wanted that ‘Willy Wonka’ feel.”
