Cheers! Brewery raises glass to site acquisition

A Birmingham brewery has secured its long-term future after acquiring the industrial estate it calls home.

Attic Brew Co has purchased the 56,000sq ft site off Mary Vale Road in Stirchley, which houses its brewery and award-winning Taproom bar.

The acquisition was supported by a seven-figure funding package from NatWest and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, through fund manager Frontier Development Capital.

Around 50 people are employed across the brewery and Taproom, while several other independent businesses based on the estate will continue operating as usual.

Founded by university friends Sam Back and Oli Hurlow, Attic Brew Co began in Sam’s attic in Kings Heath before opening its brewery in 2018.

The business, which also operates Barrel Store in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, has increased trade sales by 60 per cent over the past year.

Its beers are stocked by hospitality groups including Mitchells & Butlers, Peach Pubs and Stonegate, alongside retailers Sainsbury's, Co-op and Waitrose.

Attic Brew Co has also almost doubled the size of its brewhouse and is installing new canning and kegging equipment to meet growing demand.

Sam and Oli say the funding package will support further improvements to production facilities, including the creation of additional cold storage.

Sam said: “The brewery and Taproom are at the heart of our business and we have invested heavily in the facilities over the years. 

“Acquiring the site will secure the future of the business, enabling us to continue our investment to pursue our aim to become the Midlands’ best-loved independent brewery.”

Raj Minhas, of Frontier Development Capital, added: “Sam and Oli have built one of the UK’s most successful and fast-growing regional breweries. 

“The sale of the site could have posed a significant risk as it would have been too costly had they been forced to move to another location. 

“We are pleased to have worked with NatWest to provide a funding package that enables them to remain on the site and invest in their future growth.”

Sukhvinder Bhogal, relationship director with NatWest, added: “Sectors like independent brewing are vital to the Midlands economy, creating skilled jobs, attracting visitors and breathing new life into local communities.

“Attic Brew Co is a great example of an ambitious, well-run business with strong roots in Birmingham and a clear plan for growth. 

“By supporting the purchase of their site, we’re helping to give the business long-term security and the confidence to invest further in its people, its production facilities and its future. 

“We’re proud to back Sam, Oli and the team as they continue to build one of the region’s standout independent breweries.”

Julie Mole and Jack Edmonds provided fundraising advice to Attic Brew Co during the deal.

The £400 million Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, operated by the British Business Bank, provides debt finance of £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million to help Midlands-based small and medium-sized businesses start, grow or innovate, aiming to boost sustainable economic growth, increase early-stage funding availability and improve access to finance for firms that might otherwise miss out.

David Tindall, senior investment manager at the British Business Bank, added: “This recent investment demonstrates how the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II is helping ambitious businesses access the funding they need to achieve their long-term growth plans.

“Attic Brew has established itself as a successful and innovative business with strong roots in the Midlands. 

“By supporting the acquisition of its premises, we’re helping provide the long-term security needed for the business to continue growing, creating jobs and contributing to the region’s food and drink sector. 

“We look forward to seeing the positive impact this investment will have for the business, its employees and the wider local economy.”

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