THE company behind a County Durham wine bottling plant has unveiled plans for a new craft brewery and taproom is to open in a Newcastle business village.
Full Circle Brew Co will include a brewing facility, taproom, liquor store and event space, and will open within Hoults Yard, off Walker Road, near Byker, in November, creating up to 15 jobs.
The new venture sits within the wider Lanchester Group of Companies, owned by the Cleary family and including The Pip Stop, Lanchester Wines, Greencroft Bottling, Lanchester Gifts and others.
Full Circle Brew Co’s general manager Ben Cleary said: “We have all licences and permissions in place, and building work will start in the next couple of weeks when we take receipt of our custom-made 30 hectolitre brewhouse.
“We’re looking to create a venue which captures the hearts, minds and, most importantly, taste buds of the local community.
“We’ll be producing three core beers – a Session Pale Ale of between four and five per cent proof, an American Pale Ale of between five and six per cent proof and an Indian Pale Ale of between six and seven per cent proof.
“We’ll also produce seasonal specials and listening to customers’ feedback to increase our core range based on our experimental brews,” he added.
The beer will be served in Full Circle Brew Co’s taproom, which will have capacity for 100 guests.
Mr Cleary added: “We’ll have 20 taps, ten for our own beers and ten for guest beers – we want to showcase as many local breweries and guest beers for collaborative reasons and for variety of course.”
He said Hoults Yard was within easy reach of the city centre and full of quirky, independent businesses.
“There’s a real buzz about the place. There are a growing number of great breweries in and around the Byker /Walker/Ouseburn area making it a bit of a beer lovers’ hub,” he said.
Charlie Hoult, managing director of Hoults Yard and parent company Hyhubs, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Ben and Full Circle Brew Co into our community. It’s an exciting venture and we’re pleased to be part of it.
“With the recent additions of Ghetto Golf, Proven Goods bakery, Patisserie 28 and now a brilliant craft brewery, Hoults Yard is becoming a destination and more than just a successful business village.
“We’re sure the 700 people who work on the Yard will be interested in sampling Full Circle Brew Co’s beer, and I’m equally sure Ben and his team will fit right in to our warm, welcoming and supportive community.”
The craft brewery will be created in a previously vacant warehouse and will have a four vessel stainless steel system capable of producing 9,000 330ml cans (or 5,400 pints) per six-hour brewing cycle.
Mr Cleary and his head brewer, Alex Redpath, started work on creating Full Circle Brew Co’s beers over a year ago, perfecting recipes based on feedback from customers at its sister store, The Pip Stop in County Durham, which will re-locate to the Hoult’s Yard venue.
He said: “The venue has a unique split-level design which is ideal for us. We’ll house our brewing facility on the bottom floor with a glass-fronted event space and tap room looking down from an elevated vantage point.”
Full Circle Brew Co is investing in a rotary counter-pressure canning system to allow them to can their beer on site. This dovetails in to the contract brewing/canning business they aim to run alongside Full Circle.
While Full Circle Brew Co is a new venture, Mr Cleary said its name is steeped in history: “My grandparents on both sides each owned pubs and so my move into the world of beer shows how my family has come ‘full circle’.”
Full Circle Brew Co will initially be opening from 12 noon to 11pm Thursday to Sunday. For more information about Full Circle Brew Co, go to www.fullcirclebrew.co.uk
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