Craft brewery secures £75k to launch new pub in Leeds

A new craft brewery has secured £75k of funding to launch an online shop and brewpub in a mill in Leeds.

Amity Brew Co is signing a 10 year lease at Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley, following an injection of £50k from the Business Enterprise Fund and raising £25k from family.

The 2,500 sq ft brewery and bar, due to open in autumn 2020, will be situated at Sunny Bank Mills’ Festoon Rooms.

Russ Clarke, co-founder and director of Amity Brew Co, commented: “We are a group of friends who met on the craft beer scene having worked in the UK’s best breweries, so we know our stuff.

“We are inspired by the US model of a brewpub, making limited batch beer on-site and getting it into the hands of the community fresh and fast.”

John Gaunt, joint managing director of mill owners Edwin Woodhouse and Co Ltd, said: “We are really excited to welcome Amity Brew Co to Sunny Bank Mills.

“Just as the mill was home to manufacturing some of the best cloth in the world, we can’t wait to see Amity Brew Co brewing and selling high quality craft beers at Sunny Bank Mills.

“Amity Brew Co will be a superb addition to the Mill community, complementing Grumpy’s and The Mill Kitchen and making it an even more attractive place to visit and work.

“Sunny Bank, one of the most famous family-owned mills in Yorkshire, has been transformed into a 21st century business centre.

“The mill has been extensively renovated to provide quality space within an environment steeped in heritage for small and medium-sized businesses in West Yorkshire. Altogether 70 companies are now on site, creating 350 new and sustainable jobs.”