This is where we’re at folks. We were a week or so away from being able to brew our first batch of beer at our brand-new site in Leith before COVID-19 came along. The final installation of our brewery–to increase our gas supply into the building to power the steam generator–was due to begin on April 1st. The gas network are now only dealing with emergency works, and we have been put on hold until things go back to normal, whenever that happens… It’ll be a month or so after that happens until we’ll be able to brew our first batch at our own brewery. Like many others in our situation, a global pandemic wasn’t something that had crossed our minds when writing the business plan.
So, we need a plan B.
We are lucky enough to have some wonderful friends in the brewing industry who have spare capacity at the moment, and so in the coming days, we will begin to contract to brew our core beers at these breweries. Everything we’ll brew for the foreseeable future will be going into small-pack (cans and bottles) and will be available to purchase via our webshop. Throughout this whole process, we will continue to plan ahead, and make sure we’re doing everything we can to ensure everyone involved will remain safe and healthy.
If you want to try our first batches, our beers will be available to pre-order for a limited time at our webshop. As soon as we package the first batch of each beer, they’ll be on their way to you immediately. By pre-ordering, you’ll be helping us and our fledgeling business immensely, and as a little thanks, we have some fun rewards we’ll be including with these orders. These include one-off T-shirt designs, invitations to special events and gift cards which can be used on future purchases. Our online shop will be open from Thursday, April 23rd.
This is an extremely uncertain time for all small businesses. Now, more than ever, we all need to do what we can to support one another during this awful time, otherwise there may not be much left to support once this all passes. Thank you to everyone who places an order for our first beer releases.
ABOUT NEWBARNS BREWERY
Newbarns Brewery was established in 2019 in Leith, Scotland by partners Gordon McKenzie and Emma McIntosh, formerly of London’s Kernel Brewery, along with friends Jonny Hamilton and Freddie Bjerkseth, formerly of Beavertown Brewery.
Gordon and Emma fell into brewing after relocating to London in 2012, with Gordon spending two years at Berkshire’s Siren Brewery before moving on to The Kernel, where Emma was already based. They met Jonny and Freddie through a mutual love of beer and pubs. The pair bring considerable experience to the Newbarns team, with Freddie working as a sales account manager, and Jonny heading up Beavertown’s Tempus barrel-ageing project.
The pub is at the centre of our ethos at Newbarns. Our focus is on producing delicious, sessionable beers, to be enjoyed with friends and family in the comfortable and familiar surroundings only a good pub can provide.
OUR BEERS
From day one we decided we wanted our beers to look and taste like beer. We’re inspired by classic styles, such as clean, crisp Munich lagers and the vibrant, hop-forward pale ales we made for many years at The Kernel.
Our branding and labels were inspired by rummaging through an old box of beer mats Emma’s Dad came across in an auction, which dated from the 1980s back to the 1940s. We want our beers to be as approachable as they are delicious, and their design reflects this.
SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:
Twitter: @NewbarnsBeer | Instagram: @NewbarnsBrewery | Facebook: www.facebook.com/
For more information, contact Emma McIntosh [emma@newbarnsbrewery.com]