Joule’s Brewery, a cornerstone of the Market Drayton community, is thrilled to unveil its ambitious £1 million transformation plans for the town. To ensure the community’s involvement and feedback, Joule’s Brewery is hosted a public consultation evening at the Red Lion, Market Drayton on May 7th and 8th. People were invited to chat with our development team, have a look at the proposed plans, and most importantly, feedback.
Highlights of the Transformation Plans:
Thanks for taking a moment to check out our exciting proposal for The Stags Head. We’ve recently submitted plans for our vision, which you can review at this link. Feel free to share your thoughts directly on the plans via the link, or if you prefer, you can email us at planning.northern@shropshire.gov.uk, referencing 24/01808/FUL.
Here’s a brief overview of what we’re aiming to achieve, and we’re eager to hear your feedback.
Last year, we acquired The Stag with a dual purpose in mind. Firstly, we wanted to enhance our brewery operations and integrate the entire courtyard into our concept. Given the proximity of the two pubs, it only made sense to incorporate The Stag into our larger site. Our brewery is the heart of our pub network, and we’re passionate about making The Stag a seamless part of it.
Secondly, we’ve harboured a significant vision for quite some time now, and this proposal is a concise summary of that vision. We’re excited to share it with you and hope it resonates with our community.
What’s it all about?
Now that we’ve acquired The Stag, we’ve taken the plunge and submitted plans to bring our grand vision to life – pending approval, of course.
This plan is a comprehensive one, involving every aspect of the brewery site. So, let’s break it down step by step.
The Brewery
First off, we’re gearing up to invest in expanding our brewery operations. Currently, we’re operating at full capacity, particularly with our craft lager, Green Monkey, renowned for its natural maturation process, sparkling freshness, and unpasteurized goodness. Available exclusively on draught, it’s been a hit with our patrons, and naturally, we want to keep the taps flowing.
Given the lengthy maturation time required for that signature deep mellow flavour, we’re left with no shortcuts. Time is as crucial as the top-notch malt, hops, and our prized mineral-rich water, sourced right here in our town. Maintaining our commitment to brewing in the heart of our community, which boasts a rich brewing heritage thanks to our exceptional water source, is paramount. After all, Joule’s beer owes much of its character to this unique setting.
Our investment plans entail adding more maturation vessels and other necessary infrastructure to accommodate increased brewing capacity. This plan will allow us to brew more for the long term, and is very imaginatively titled ‘Project Brewery 2033’
Drayton Civic Society
When we announced our acquisition of The Stag, discussions arose about the possibility of housing the town’s museum within the brewery premises, enriching our collective offering. Recognizing the limitations of the current museum location in terms of size and accessibility, we explored the idea further. Fast forward, and we’re thrilled to share that we’ve reached an agreement: pending planning approval, the museum will relocate to a brand-new, purpose-built space behind The Stag.
Detailed drawings are available both here and online for closer inspection. The proposed exhibition area will span over 200m², providing an expansive and accessible venue for showcasing the town’s heritage.
We’re immensely proud to collaborate with the Civic Society on this venture and envision a long-lasting partnership. As part of our commitment, we intend to construct the space and offer it to the society free of charge. In turn, the society will spearhead fundraising efforts to outfit the space, ensuring it’s ready to house their remarkable collection. We’ve had some fantastic collaborations with different charities and organizations in the past. For instance, at our sister-site in Stone, Crown Wharf, we teamed up with the Stone Town Council to bring the Old Fire Station back to life as a Heritage Centre. Plus, we helped kickstart the local Theatre Trust, Crown Wharf Theatre. These partnerships mean a lot to us, and we’re always excited about working together to make a positive impact in our communities.
We’re excited about the possibilities this collaboration holds for our community and look forward to seeing this vision come to life.
The Red Lion
At The Red Lion, we’re excited about potential changes on the horizon. However, we want to emphasize that we’re taking things one step at a time. While we don’t have plans to share with you just yet, once the plans for The Stag are approved, we’ll be opening further conversations about the Red Lion with any changes carefully considered for the best interests of our patrons in mind.
Rest assured, the footprint of The Red Lion won’t change, but we do have some exciting plans to use the space. Our aim is to make the kitchen slightly bigger to elevate our menu offerings. Additionally, we’re considering transforming the Mouseroom into a versatile area for everyday use, rather than solely for events.
Furthermore, we’re enthusiastic about introducing a dedicated meeting room for the benefit of all our clubs and societies.
These plans mark the next step in our journey, and we’re taking each step thoughtfully and methodically. We’re eagerly looking forward to sharing more details with you as our plans progress.
Design Ideas
The proposed new building opposite the Red Lion will seek to harmonize with the surrounding architectural heritage while embodying a contemporary interpretation of warehouse design. It will mirror the scale and materials of the adjacent stable block, integrating reclaimed 19th-century red clay bricks and clay roof tiles.
Inspired by the c19th warehouse vernacular, the design will aim to complement the neighbouring Red Lion Inn and the modernist brewery at the centre of the complex. A link structure, crafted from oak with a slate roof, will create a seamless connection between the new building and the late c19th Stag’s Head, ensuring architectural cohesion within the brewery courtyard.
Emphasizing modernity over pastiche, the design will incorporate warehouse-style elements such as metal windows and large sliding doors, while maintaining a contemporary aesthetic with a focus on reclaimed materials and thoughtful detailing.
The proposal will include an exhibition space for the Drayton Civic Society and accessibility enhancements to enrich the development, aligning with Joules Brewery’s commitment to innovative pub design.
For more detailed information and design inspirations, please visit our website here: https://www.joulesbrewery.co.uk/work-with-us/opportunities/developments/
When might this happen?
As for timing, if the plans successfully pass through, we’re aiming to break ground and begin work on-site during the summer of 2024. Our goal is to wrap up construction and be more or less finished by early 2025. During the development period the new Stag will take centre stage as our primary pub, allowing us to focus on renovating The Red Lion, furthermore, our other Market Drayton Taphouse, The Sandbrook Vaults is just a stone’s throw round the corner from the Brewery! We want to make sure that people can still enjoy a pint of Joule’s during this transition period and if everything goes according to plan, we might just be putting the finishing touches on everything by the summer of 2025!
Exciting times lie ahead, and we’ll be sure to keep you updated every step of the way.
Should you have any further questions or wish to learn more, feel free to reach out to me directly at georgia@joulesbrewery.co.uk. I’d be more than happy to provide additional information and insight.
CONTACTS
Georgia Charlton-Briggs Brand Manager marketing@joulesbrewery.co.uk
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