Bath Ales plans to double brewing operation in two years

Bath Ales has announced plans to double the amount of beer it brews in the next two years and quadruple it in five years' time.

The company said it had already transferred its transport and logistics team to a bigger facility, with other functions set to be transferred in the coming weeks.

Roger Jones, managing director of Bath Ales, said: "This is tremendously exciting for us and presents an opportunity to really kick on and have our beers enjoyed by more people and further afield.

"But what is really important is that we get this right and that we absolutely preserve, even enhance, our reputation for producing great beers of consistent quality.

"Hence, in terms of the brewing kit, we will use our existing facility until a new brewhouse is established to our exacting specification - and that might take up to 18 months."

The new site is less than a mile from the existing premises in Warmley on the outskirts of Bristol. At around 38,000sq ft it is more than four times the size of the present base at Caxton Business Park.

"The investment in new brewing equipment alone will exceed £1m, so we are serious about the bright future we see for Bath Ales," Jones added.

Bath Ales' brewery-based staff will grow to almost 60. It employs a further 110 across seven pubs.

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By Neil Gerrard

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