Innis & Gunn raises £2m for ‘largest brewery in Edinburgh for 150 years’

CRAFT brewer Innis & Gunn has raised £2 million to build what it claims will be the largest brewery in Edinburgh for more than 150 years.

Around 1,200 investors have pledged support so far in the crowdfunding campaign to raise a total of £3m to help fund the construction of the facility. The new brewery, the location of which is due to be announced shortly, will bring all production and packaging in-house, simplifying the current outsourced model and reducing costs, while also reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

It will create around 30 jobs and give Innis & Gunn the opportunity to offer brewing services to others for the first time, with doors set to open in 2021.

The brewery is projected to cost around £20m, with a £15m loan also being progressed, subject to due diligence.

Dougal Gunn Sharp, founder and master brewer at Innis & Gunn, said: “Our ambition to put Edinburgh back on the brewing map is now well advanced, and we have our amazing investors to thank for that. We’re also delighted that discussions are progressing with our preferred lender for the loan to build the main brewery structure.

“There’s never been a better time to join us, and having your name on the biggest brewery Edinburgh has seen for over 150 years is an opportunity that’s just too good to miss. So, if you want to be part of brewing history, head over to the Seedrs site where you can invest from as little as £20.”

In the three years since its last crowdfund, Innis & Gunn has grown to almost 21 million pints and increased turnover to over £25m.

Growth has accelerated through the launch of its award-winning Lager Beer which in 2018 grew by nearly 40%.

Innis & Gunn Lager accounts for three-in-four craft lagers sold in Scottish supermarkets. The brewer also relaunched its pubs as Brewery Taprooms, with takings up 30%, and they will be rolled out across the UK with two new sites a year for the next three years.