Norfolk Brewery gets new environmental premises

Wolf Brewery, previously based in Attleborough, has been able to buy land, build bespoke premises and become more environmentally friendly with the support of a £890,000 loan from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.

The funding that the brewery received was originally facilitated to help purchase the new bottling line and move the business forward. Since then, it has enabled owners, Kay and John Edwards, to move to new premises in Besthorpe after the previous site had become unworkable due to lack of space and waste disposal issues.

To reduce the business’ impact on the environment, a new waste water treatment plant filtration system has been installed on the new site which means that water can be treated and returned to the environment. As it takes five pints of water to produce one pint of beer, by using onsite water treatment, there is no longer a need to use tankers, reducing the firm’s overall CO2 emissions.

Through the new environmental facilities installed at Wolf Brewery, Kay and John Edwards are able to save £12,000 which can then be reinvested into the business or put towards overhead costs.

Through the new larger premises, Wolf Brewery has been able to secure new bottling contracts and now has the capacity to take on more orders due to product demand. The company currently employs seven full-time members of staff and three part-time employees and has plans to hire more in the future as sales and contracts continue to move forward.

Kay and John also own a specialist real ale free house called the Duke of Wellington on Waterloo Road in Norwich which supports Wolf Brewery ales. John and Kay were able to acquire Wolf Brewery in 2005 through their business relationship with the previous owners.

As part of the new expansion, the producer also offers brewing, bottling, storage and brewery tours as well as selling its products to the public and other establishments. Through the Funding for Lending Scheme supported by Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, owners Kay and John Edwards received a one per cent discount on the life of the business loan.

Kay Edwards, co-owner of Wolf Brewery, said: “To have larger premises through building to our own requirements has been a massive leap forward for the company and our future. We knew it was important to continue our growth, and by environmentally friendly we are also able to reduce output costs for the business.

“With the support of Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, John and I have been able to take on bigger contracts, and now also have the room to meet increased orders and create local job opportunities in the future. Our relationship manager has been very helpful from the start and understood the pressures a brewery of our size can face. He was fully supportive of the environmentally friendly factors that we wanted to enforce.”

Lee Williams, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “Wolf Brewery is a leading brewer in East Anglia and it’s great that the bank has been able to help drive the growth and progress the future plans of this producer. The new environmental and economic value of the site will provide opportunities to gain even larger contracts and shows a bright future for this well-established firm.

“At Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, we can provide funding for start-ups right up to well-known brands. Relationship managers are able to make their own lending decisions at a local level, including the ability to lend up to £500,000.”