Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
BRAELOCH IS READY FOR SUMMER
Entrepreneur expands business, cans artisan beers for first time during unprecedented quarantine
KENNETT SQUARE » With challenge, comes opportunity. Carpe diem. Seize the day. Braeloch Brewing owner Kent Steeves of Newark, Del., seized the day for his business after the state shutdown all restaurants and brewpubs in Chester County.
Suddenly he had the time needed to create something new for customers. Canned beers. “We have been wanting to can for a while,” Steeves said, noting that the downtown borough brewhouse is only a year old. “We were just too busy to think about canning.”
That all changed on March 13 when the governor announced his emergency mandate that all restaurants must close statewide within 24-hour mandate.
Steeves said, “As soon as we had the shut down I was working to get the (can) labels approved.”
He added of the shutdown, “It accelerated us into it. This is something we’ve always wanted to do.”
Braeloch used a mobile canner which set up canning operations at the brewhouse. “It was awesome,” he said. In total, Steeves made 200 cases featuring four fresh beers, including: Honey-Moon Passion, a honey golden ale; a Belgium pale ale called Fat Oliver; a Vienna lager called Fur
ther Down The Road; and an IPA called Grace Brewster Hooper which supports the Pink Boots Society. Steeves said it is a group which raises funds to benefit women to support their further education in the craft brewing industry.
The Grace Brewster Hooper is a New England India style pale ale.
After the venue shut down to the public, operations resumed with takeout orders of upscale pub food and beer.
“We immediately went to takeout,” Steeves said. He said the second half of March reduced revenues dramatically but takeout services increased a bit in April and then much more in May.
Braeloch Brewing is a relatively new business in Kennett Square. The brewhouse held its grand opening last year on March 1, 2019. A little more than a year later, the entire Pennsylvania economy shutdown by order of the governor.
“We had our one-year anniversary on the weekend of March 6 and 7 and of course COVID shut us down the next weekend,” Steeves said. “We were already seeing a reduction of business during our anniversary weekend.”
Braeloch is a 10 barrel 3-vessel brewhouse with four 10 barrel fermenters and four 10 barrel brite tanks inside a renovated old brick factory building on Birch Street. All the brewhouse tanks are American built by Practical Fusion in Portland, Oregon. The kegs onsite are from American Keg in Pottstown, Pa.
Braeloch furloughed 14 employees of 15 employees. The taproom manager stayed on, Steeves said.
Braeloch reopened its Beer Garden for outside dining noon June 5, when Chester County moved to the “yellow” phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s ongoing state emergency plan to reopen the commonwealth following his COVID-19 shutdown pandemic mandates declared in March.
Although the state allowed outside dinning to resume on June 5, inside dining is still prohibited until Wolf decides otherwise.
As for beers, Braeloch Brewing offers patrons a vast selection with 12 varieties on tap — all crafted on-site.
The business sells craft beer in growlers, ranging between 64 ounce and 32 ounce sizes and top end pub food and a selection of wines made in Pennsylvania.
Blue Hen Gold is the No. 1 best seller, Steeves said.
Steeves co-owns Braeloch Brewing with his wife, Amy Steeves.
The couple launched the brewhouse last year alongside childhood friends Matt and Kathy Drysdale.
“We just love this community here,” Steeves said. “The craft beer world is just a place to go have fun and relax.”
The business offers brewery tours for folks hoping to learn more about the brewing process and discover the ingredients needed to make excellent craft beer.
At 225 Birch St., Braeloch’s current hours for visitors are 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon until 10 p.m. Sunday.