A craft brewery and taproom is weeks away from opening in Newcastle business village Hoults Yard.
Plans for Full Circle Brew Co were first unveiled earlier this year by the Lanchester Group of businesses, based in Annfield Plain, County Durham, which includes wine packaging company Greencroft Bottling, retail fim Pip Stop, Lanchester Wine Cellars and Lanchester Gifts.
Having captured the wine market, Ben Cleary, son of the group’s founders Tony and Veronica Cleary, and the manager of Pip Stop, was keen to bring the firm ‘full circle’ by embarking on a brewing operation.
Now an empty warehouse at Hoults Yard in Byker is being transformed into Full Circle Brew Co, with a brewing facility, taproom, liquor store and event space, which will open in November, creating up to 15 jobs.
The beer will be served in Full Circle Brew Co’s taproom, which will have room for 100 people.
Opening at the Byker business hub marks the end of a two-year search for the right base, having spent more than 18 months alone looking in places around Durham and Benfield before finding the old warehouse, which has been empty for some time.
Full Circle Brew Co’s general manager Ben Cleary said: “It’s within easy reach of the city centre and is full of quirky, independent businesses and there’s a real buzz about the place. There are a growing number of great breweries in and around the Byker/Walker/Ouseburn area making it a bit of a beer lovers’ hub.
“We have all licences and permissions in place, and building work will start in the next couple of weeks when we take receipt of our custom-made 30 hectolitre brewhouse.
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“We’re looking to create a venue which captures the hearts, minds and, most importantly, taste buds of the local community.
“We’ll be producing three core beers – a Session Pale Ale of between four and five per cent proof; an American Pale Ale of between five and six per cent proof and an Indian Pale Ale of between six and seven per cent proof.
“We’ll also produce seasonal specials and listening to customers’ feedback to increase our core range based on our experimental brews.”
Charlie Hoult, managing director of Hoults Yard and parent company Hyhubs, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Ben and Full Circle Brew Co into our community. It’s an exciting venture and we’re pleased to be part of it.
“With the recent additions of Ghetto Golf, Proven Goods bakery, Patisserie 28 and now a brilliant craft brewery Hoults Yard is becoming a destination and more than just a successful business village.
“We’re sure the 700 people who work on the yard will be interested in sampling Full Circle Brew Co’s beer, and I’m equally sure Ben and his team will fit right in to our warm, welcoming and supportive community.”
Mr Cleary and his head brewer, Alex Redpath, started work on creating Full Circle Brew Co’s beers over a year ago, perfecting recipes based on feedback from customers at its sister store, The Pip Stop in County Durham, which will re-locate to the Hoult’s Yard venue.
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He added: “The venue has a unique split-level design which is ideal for us. We’ll house our brewing facility on the bottom floor with a glass-fronted event space and tap room looking down from an elevated vantage point.”
Full Circle Brew Co is investing in a rotary counter-pressure canning system to allow them to can their beer on site, which will be used for the contract brewing and canning business they aim to run alongside Full Circle.
Mr Cleary added: “My grandparents on both sides each owned pubs and so my move into the world of beer shows how my family has come ‘full circle’.”