Lancashire’s famous Moorhouse’s Brewery has seen the dawn of a new era for the 144 year old business as work commences on an ambitious £3.5m brewing complex.
To mark the historic occasion chairman Bill Parkinson cut the first sod on the 5,000 square metre site with the help of an earth loader (see photograph). Founder of the Manchester based world-wide lifting gear business the LGH Group plc, Mr Parkinson bought the then ailing Burnley brewery in the eighties ‘because he liked the beer’.
On completion the state-of-the-art brewery will triple current brewing capacity for the world beating Pendle Witches cask-conditioned brews to some 1000 barrels per week. Both a training school and visitor centre are included in the investment, which will help in the regeneration of the former mill town while also doubling the current brewery workforce.
The first sod is in the bucket at Moorhouse's - L-R MD David Grant; Richard Cryer, MD Watergate Contractors; Bill Parkinson, Moorhouse's chairman.
The £1.8m phase one, comprising new brew-house and warehousing, is now scheduled for commissioning next summer. Stage two will see new offices, visitor centre and training school erected on the site of the present Moorhouse Street brewery, built in 1870 by William Moorhouse as he expanded his drinks business. Finally, the existing administration centre and warehouse will be cleared for car parking with completion planned for early 2011. Main contractor for the development is Watergates of Wakefield and brewing equipment contracts have been agreed with leading industry suppliers.
David Grant, Moorhouse’s managing director, said: “Last year the directors took the bold decision to go ahead despite the recession. There have been some unforeseen red tape delays, but now it is all systems go. Cutting the first sod was a true red letter day for our chairman, who continued to believe in the brewery despite difficult times in the past.
Bill Parkinson said: “This is a tremendously exciting time. The brewery struggled throughout the nineties but in recent years sales have grown at 17 per cent year-on-year. This ambitious investment is a very strong pledge of confidence in that success and, more generally, in the future for cask ale.”
Moorhouse’s directly supplies several hundred freehouse’s and pub company outlets in the North West and Yorkshire while the beers are also distributed nationally via leading wholesalers and major pub chains. Over the coming months discounted rates are being offered on the popular brewery tours to Camra groups wishing to visit the original Moorhouse Street brewery before it is replaced.