Wells & Co. looks Beyond Beer as it celebrates 150 years
Bedford, 12 November 2026: As Wells & Co. celebrates 150 years of family ownership, the independent brewer and pub company is looking to the future with the launch of The Beyond Beer Collective, a new venture focused on exploring and developing opportunities for future growth.
Beer and brewing will remain at the heart of Wells & Co., but the Collective will create dedicated space to explore what else could complement its pubs, its brewery and the wider business. Its focus will be deliberately broad, exploring new products, experiences and opportunities beyond the existing business, inspired by how people are choosing to eat, drink and socialise.
At the heart of this is Brewpoint, Wells & Co.’s state-of-the-art brewery and production facility in Bedford, which brings together modern brewing and packaging capabilities with an experienced team and long-standing relationships across the pub and brewing industries. The Beyond Beer Collective will build on that platform, bringing together internal and external expertise, including its partnership with Muntons, to explore new ideas, test opportunities and learn what has the potential to grow.
Peter Wells, Chief Executive of Wells & Co., said: "Throughout 150 years of family ownership, Wells & Co. has continued to evolve. Each generation has responded to changing tastes and new opportunities while staying true to what makes us distinctive.
"Beer and brewing will always be at the heart of who we are, but we're also curious about what comes next. The Beyond Beer Collective gives us the freedom to explore new ideas, learn what resonates with guests and back the opportunities we believe have real potential.
"As we celebrate our first 150 years, it feels like the right time to look ahead and ask where the next opportunities might come from."
The Beyond Beer Collective will be led by Tom Foddy, who has spent more than 15 years at Wells & Co., including as Commercial Director, with a strong background in innovation and new product development. He is also Regional Director for SIBA East.
Commenting on his appointment, Tom Foddy said “There are lots of interesting ideas and opportunities out there, both within our own business and beyond it. The exciting part is giving ourselves the space to explore them properly.
“The advantage for us is that we can bring those ideas to our guests first, see what genuinely excites them and learn quickly. When we find something that works, we can then look at how to build on it and where it could take us.”
The Collective is already exploring a number of early concepts, with further opportunities expected to emerge from across Wells & Co.'s network and through external partnerships.
To find out more, visit www.wellsandco.com.
Notes to editors:
Wells & Co. was founded in 1876 and is an independent, fifth generation, family-owned business with an estate of 160 pubs in the UK and 19 in France. In 2020, Wells & Co opened Brewpoint on Cut Throat Lane, Bedford. Much more than just a state-of-the-art brewery facility, Brewpoint is a £14m investment into the long-standing business’ future with a shop, office, pub and EV chargers - a statement of intent built on five generations of craft beer.
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For further information please contact Jacob Prichard via Jacob.Prichard@wellsandco.com.
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