UK: Cains plans GBP50m 'Brewery Village'

By James Wilmore | 12 April 2013

Cains Brewery has unveiled plans to transform its Liverpool site into a GBP50m (US$76.8m) leisure and retail destination, while stepping up production of its "traditional" ales.

The proposed scheme, called Brewery Village, will involve the Grade-II listed brewery building being restored, plus the buiding of a 100-room hotel, work studios, food market, restaurants, cinema and apartments. The site’s Brewery Tap pub will also be restored.

"The brewery’s owners want to develop the site into a national visitor destination and increase the amount of traditional Cains ales brewed at the site," a statement said on a bespoke Brewery Village website.

Cains was bought back from administration in 2008 by two brothers, Sudarghara and Ajmail Dusanj, who were also the previous owners of the group. The company has been brewing beer in Liverpool since 1850.

The firm will abandon its loss-making business of brewing supermarket own-brand beers to concentrate on its own labels, the Liverpool Echo reported.

View Larger Map

Expert analysis

Beer in the United Kingdom

In 2011 beer sales remained weak due to the ongoing and growing consumer concern about government spending cuts on jobs and incomes, which continues to constrain consumer spending. Total volume sales of beer declined by 5%, a more dramatic decline compared to the previous year and slightly sharper than the review period total volume CAGR. This was due to ongoing beer tax increases in March, with beer seeing excise duty increased two percentage points above the level of inflation at 5%. This tax...

Sectors: Beer & cider