Famous Masham beer makers set to expand as part of a £2m investment
The new owners of an iconic North Yorkshire brewery say they are set to double their revenue thanks to a new £2 million investment.
The investment by Keystone Brewing Group will support the next phase of its growth following a period of rapid expansion that has seen iconic brands, including Hofmeister, North, Four Pure and Magic Rock, added to its portfolio.
The group also includes Masham’s Black Sheep Brewery, which is set to expand its capacity and output as it benefits from major upgrades to the business.
The latest investment, funded by BREAL Group shareholders, will allow Keystone to support this growth, and meet increasing demand for its products in export, and both on-and off-trade channels, and facilitate a larger capacity, along with production of broader, more diverse SKUs across its portfolio.
Keystone Brewing Group is now forecasting a doubling of its revenue in the next 12 months.
Steve Cox, CEO of Keystone Brewing Group, said: “This investment marks a further major milestone for Keystone as we continue to scale.
"With new breweries and brands joining the group and demand rising, it gives us the agility and infrastructure to expand capacity while staying true to the quality and character of each of the brands.
"We’re well-equipped to grow in a way that’s both ambitious and sustainable.”
Planned infrastructure upgrades include:
A pasteurisation facility at Black Sheep Brewery.
Two new storage facilities at its Fearby Road packaging facility in Masham, to increase both ambient and chilled storage capacity.
A 30,000 hectolitre increase in annual fermentation capacity at Black Sheep Brewery.
A high-volume canning facility, boosting output from 2,500 to 14,000 cans per hour at Black Sheep.
New delivery vehicles to strengthen national distribution capabilities.
Black Sheep Brewery was established in 1992 by Paul Theakston off family brewery, T&R Theakston.
In May 2023 it was bought out of administration by the Breal Group investment firm.
In March 2024, Black Sheep underwent a major rebrand across all its products and merchandise, including keg, cask and bottles.
In the same year, it won 12 medals at the World Beer Awards.
More information at: https://www.blacksheepbrewery.com/