Brewery raises glass after launch

A YORKSHIRE brewery run by a former professional cricketer which launched during the recession has achieved early success.

The WharfeBank Brewery has been established in a converted paper mill on the bank of the river Wharfe in Poole-in-Wharfedale, West Yorkshire.

The 20-barrel brew plant will be brewing more than 17,000 pints a week within a year.

The brewery project has been funded, in part, by an £85,000 Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) loan from NatWest bank and a rural development grant from regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.

Martin Kellaway, managing director of WharfeBank Brewery, has collaborated with businessmen Nigel Jowett and Stephen Bullock on the project.

NatWest’s asset finance arm Lombard will also offer £30,000 of funding for delivery vehicles for the start-up.

The brewery has also recruited Ian Smith, a former head brewer at Leeds’s Tetley’s brewery, to help create its vision of a handcrafted, innovative premium cask brand.

Mr Kellaway was a former director at the Caledonian Brewing Company, brewers of Deuchars IPA, and also played professional cricket for Somerset and Hampshire.

Mr Kellaway said: “I have set about creating my vision to build a handcrafted, innovative premium cask brand and one of out three core beers, CamFell Flame, won the beer of the festival at the recent Leeds CAMRA beer festival.

“I have a passion for properly brewed ale and it’s important to me to know that it has been produced locally. I’m delighted to have created WharfeBank and hope to build it into a brewery that the area can be proud of.”

Tony Wales, business development manager for NatWest, said: “As a former cricketer, Martin has now turned his attention to another national institution, the Great British pint, and, being a real ale fan myself, I’m delighted to have been able to assist the WharfeBank team get this off the ground.

“It has been a pleasure for us to support a promising local business start-up with the funding they need and we look forward to working with them in the future.”