Ilkley Brewery raises the bar with further investment
As it approaches its fourth birthday, Ilkley Brewery reveals its latest investment in fermentation and cask filling equipment that will enable it to meet growing demand from domestic and overseas customers.
In October, the West Yorkshire brewery took delivery of a 10 foot high, 8,000 litre fermentation vessel, along with a brand new cask filling machine that will give better quality control. Both pieces of equipment will help to increase production levels by 33%. In terms of beer, this means the brewery can now make up to 25,000 litres or 50,000 pints on a weekly basis.
The brewery’s latest round of investment follows another successful year of business. UK sales are 20% higher than at this time last year. In May, the brewery also shipped its first export order to America, a move that has boosted sales volumes even further.
Managing director, Chris Ives, identifies export as a key growth area for the business:
The brewery also exported to Sweden last month, sending 17,000 bottles of Holy Cow, a rich cranberry milk stout, to its Scandinavian shores. A further 17,000 bottles of the beer will be shipped in early December.
Chris adds:
“That said, UK cask sales remain our biggest focus and we will continue to build on this by introducing new beers to the market next year and by recruiting more staff to meet production forecasts.”
Back in September, Ilkley Brewery added to its awards haul by winning five medals for four of its beers at the SIBA North East Beer Competition. Ilkley was the only brewery to take home three gold awards on the day, with one silver and one bronze medal completing the prestigious collection.
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