Guildford Microbrewery Taken Over By Dunsfold’s Crafty Brewing Company

Published on: 27 Dec, 2018
Updated on: 27 Dec, 2018

Guildford microbrewery The Little Beer Corporation has been acquired by The Crafty Brewing Company, based in Dunsfold.

The news was announced on the Drinks Retailing News website on December 17. 

The Crafty Brewing Co’s sign at the former Little Beer Corporation’s brewery on the Midleton Industrial Estate.

The Little Beer Corporation was founded by Jim Taylor in 2012 in premises on the Slyfield Industrial Estate. Production soon outgrew that site and in 2014 it relocated to the Midleton Industrial Estate, just off Woodbridge Road.

Crafty Brewing is also a microbrewery and was also established in 2014. The Drinks Retailing News reports it serves more than 260 venues and retailers across Surrey, East and West Sussex, Hampshire and London.

Crafty Brewing has taken over the Little Beer Corporation’s lease, acquiring its assets and will continue to employ all its staff.

Its founder and head brewer, Luke Herman, told The Guildford Dragon NEWS that its brewhouse in Dunsfold is set to be redeveloped, and that The Little Beer Corporation ceased brewing around July. However, a range of its beers are expected to be produced by the new owners.

The development at Dunsfold will result in a 4,000 sq ft brewery with a capacity of 100,000 litres per month.

Andrew McMorran, The Crafty Brewing Co’s chief executive officer, said to the Drinks Retailing News: “We owe our success to the loyalty of our customers in Surrey but with demand now coming from national restaurant groups, hotels and theatres we need this extra capacity in Guildford to produce more beer.

“We launched an apprenticeship scheme with Godalming College in February so now we have the capacity to increase production we can recruit more local people to make, sell and deliver to new customers.”

Jim Taylor (left) and Paul Hutcheon of The Little Beer Corporation, pictured at its open day in 2016.

The Drinks Retailing News also quoted the Little Beer Corporation’s Jim Taylor, who said: “We closed Little Beer with a heavy heart. However, our extraordinary beers and our former shareholders will be in excellent hands with The Crafty Beer Co and I look forward to seeing Crafty Brewing go from strength to strength.”

Click here for the website of The Crafty Brewing Company.

Click here for a previous story about the Little Beer Corporation and a special brew called Audit Ale.

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