Moorhouse’s Brewery has been hailed one of East Lancashire’s most outstanding businesses for 2009. At the annual Lancashire Telegraph Business Awards the Burnley brewer was ‘heralded as an innovator’ with the ‘We’re Backing Business’ accolade.
Presented for the first time this year, in partnership with Business Link, the award recognised Moorhouse’s determination to buck the recession – winning new national supply deals with leading pub chains and going ahead with a £3.5m expansion programme.
At the glittering presentation evening at Blackburn’s Ewood Park, the audience heard that Moorhouse’s has enjoyed 15 per cent year-on-year growth and how the new brewing complex will treble production capacity and include a training school and visitor centre to create 17 new jobs.
David Grant of Moorhouse's (left) receives the business award from Khallid Saifullah of Business Link.
David Grant, Moorhouse’s managing director, said: “This comes at a very exciting time. With our new complex coming on-stream in 2011, we now stand on the brink of taking our place as a true regional brewer. The award recognises that, no matter how bad the economic climate, if you are determined to achieve and you have the right team behind you then you can do it. We have not accepted the recession. Being positive and living with it is the key.”
The win was the internationally acclaimed brewer’s third business accolade this year. It follows the Best Marketing Initiative trophy from Burnley Borough Council Business Innovation Awards and a Highly Commended award at the Food North West Awards.
Moorhouse’s is the North West’s largest dedicated cask ale brewery and has won more awards than any brewer of comparable size with the famous brands that pay tribute to the witches who roamed Pendle Hill, near Burnley, in the early 17th century.