A pioneering brewery will return to Forres to make beers and lagers influenced by the Speyside region, with help from a local investment company.
Speyside Brewery, led by colourful founder Seb Jones, will once again start brewing in the Greshop Industrial Estate, this time in larger premises, and is preparing new recipes to launch alongside old favourites.
The brewery was mothballed for a short while when the pandemic hit but has now attracted new investment and is set to re-launch.
Rivers and landscapes
Speyside Brewery produced beers and lagers between 2012 and 2020, which were influenced by the area’s rivers and landscape. In 2022, it will open premises just a few yards from its original site.
The brewery’s founder, Seb Jones, will continue as managing director and lead the company’s development.
He said the industry has emerged from the pandemic in a different shape with new challenges and markets: “I am so pleased to be continuing this dream of mine, and to have investors that believe in it just as strongly is fantastic.
“In larger premises with our equipment, recipes and passion, we will be targeting markets that I believe have always been under-served by beers from Speyside, and Scotland in general. Servicing that and responding to our loyal local customers will mean we’ll be flat out from the get-go.”
Speyside icons
The brewery first opened its doors in 2012, the first in the area for over a decade. Using Speyside area icons to name its beers, it collected a host of awards for the products and the business.
In 2016 the brewery teamed up with one of Speyside’s biggest distillers to create a ground-breaking IPA-influenced whisky and a beer aged in the same single malt casks. The formula has since been copied by many breweries and distilleries across Scotland.
Re-starting production will see beers such as its Speyside lager influenced by local beauty spot Randolph’s Leap, and the big-selling Findhorn Killer IPA, named after one of most successful salmon flies used in the area’s peaty rivers.
New beers… and old favourites
“We’ll be resurrecting many of our beers, and I’m already developing some new ones too,” Seb added.
“Many of the new beers will be in direct response to the changing landscape of the drinks market. But importantly for our local economy we’ll be creating employment, which along with happy customers I find the most satisfying elements of business.”
Speyside Brewery is actively recruiting a head brewer and administration personnel, with more jobs to be created later in 2022 and in early 2023.
Bringing the ‘Speyside Story’ back to life
New directors, Moray businesswoman Naidene Urquhart and restaurateur Katalin Urquhart said they were pleased to be part of the story that brings Speyside Brewery back into production.
“Seb and Speyside Brewery produced exceptional beers and it’s great to be able to help that journey continue,” they said.
“In addition, it had very strong roots in the Speyside and Forres community, which we are very keen on growing along with the brewery.”
Picture shows Seb with new directors Katalin Urquhart (left) and Naidene Urquhart.