Beartown Brewery, based in Congleton, is looking to 2022 as the year of expansion with the brewery set to undertake an upscale of the site after sales reach higher levels than pre-pandemic. 

Sales of the cask beer have skyrocketed with artisan beers being more in demand than ever by consumers.

With no sign of slowing down, the brewery is in talks to expand into the UK’s major retailers, with plans to increase the brewery site to brew a higher volume of liquid, permitting the production of more cans and bottles (small pack) on a daily basis. 

Plans to expand the 6000sq ft site, will be revealed ahead of 2022, with the expansion including a range of brand-new equipment to facilitate the increase in demand. 

Before the pandemic, Beartown primarily sold their products to pubs in the local area of Cheshire with 99% of the core range going straight to trade. Since then, a heavy shift in sales was recorded, with 100% of the liquid in 2021 being produced for consumer bottles and cans. 

Joseph Manning, managing director of Beartown Brewery, said: “There has been a huge shift in consumer behaviour following the impact of COVID through 2020, and 2021, suddenly the demand for cans and bottles to be enjoyed at home has skyrocketed.  Before the pandemic, our sales came from on-trade, we can however see this has changed and as a business, we need to adapt our operations to cope with the demand.

“We have some firm plans in place to enable our vision to become a reality and look forward to actioning our expansion in 2022.”

The business which is owned by the Manning family, is committed to remaining a sustainable brewery and as they expand the site, the Manning’s are looking at new ways to be as sustainable as possible. 

The brewery is adding solar panels to cover the electric requirements, EV charging points and a key focus on reducing packaging impact. 

Charity is also at the forefront of the Beartown Brewery business, after nearly three decades of brewing, the company recognised Animals Asia as their charity partner in 2018, after witnessing all the amazing work they do first hand. 

The brewery supports Animals Asia year round, but also looks to work with other charity partners and drives, including their CAREBEAR beer, which was launched in support of healthcare charities in the North West during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Animals Asia which aims to stop animal cruelty worldwide, receives support from Beartown through sponsored products and charity drives.