Have you ever dreamt of throwing off the shackles of your day job? Perhaps over a beer you and a mate have talked about starting your own business. Perhaps you even talked about opening a pub as you finished your pint.
What about opening your own brewery? Home brewing is more popular than ever and the success of a Welsh brewery has created an opportunity for an aspiring brewer.
In May 2014, after a few pints in the pub, James Beavan, 32, and Robert Faulkner, 36, decided it would be a good idea to quit their steady jobs and start their own brewery.
They formed Tenby Brewing Co – and just over three years later, Tenby Brewing Company has done 250 brews and has opened its own bar, the SandBar. This means the pair can pay the living wage - a big issue for James while he had previously worked at a national pub chain.
There is one problem however. The beer has got so popular their old kit is no longer able to produce enough hoppy goodness to meet demand. So they have taken the plunge - moved premises and bought Tiny Rebel’s old kit.
This means their original kit is up for sale on eBay- for just £12,000. It’s currently still in Tenby but can be relocated wherever the new brewer wishes.
“We are selling our beloved first brew-house,” said James. “It is an awesome small brewery that we have used for the last three years to build our business.”
According to James, who drove night taxis to fund the business initially, this is the perfect way for an amateur brewer to get into the industry.
He said: “They will need a qualified electrician to put in the cabling and they will need to install the water pipes but other than that is good to go.
“You can do 800 litres a brew and can brew three times a week. This means you could potentially brew 125,000 litres a year with this kit.
“In reality, we do about half that."
“If someone is competent at homebrewing and did a small course with someone like Brew Lab then they could use this kit. It is a pretty similar way to brew as home brewing.
“What is good is that this is a really good price for a brewery. It allows someone without much capital to get into brewing. If you haven’t got lots of money that is the one for them.”
Despite the move being a big step for the pair, they are both going to be sad to see the old kit go.
“I feel really nostalgic,” said James.
“I spent so many hours stood next to it stirring stuff! I can’t believe it’s only three years. It feels like all I have ever done.
“The new premises can do seven days a week though. With the old Tiny Rebel Kit we can do 728,000 litres a year!”
This won’t be the pair’s first risk. Apart from opening the brewery itself, they also took a punt by opening a bar and restaurant all year round in a seasonal tourist town.
This summer will mark two years since they opened the SandBar which os one of the top attractions on Tripadvisor in the area.
“It has been hard work but have proved that it works,” said James.
“It was a bit a risk because we don’t carry any brands or international products – it is all local.
“We were worried that wouldn’t have a broad enough appeal but people seem to love it.
“We have lots of craft beers including our own and breweries like Tiny Rebel, Crafty Devil, and Heavy Industries.
“We don’t stock anything owned by an international brand so no Gordon’s Gin – we use a Aberystwyth ginnery that have a really nice seaweed gin.”
So if you are overworked and underpaid you could click the buy-it-now button on eBay and start your own brewing dream for £12,000 (plus VAT).
from: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/dreamed-running-your-brewery-well-14393451