Curious Brewing

Chapel Down had started producing lagers in 2010, importing beer and ales from the Leicester-based brewery Everards, but wanted to open a local production unit.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/apr/04/chapel-down-raises-17m-to-build-curious-drinks-brewery|title=Chapel Down raises £1.7m to build Curious Drinks brewery|newspaper=The Guardian|date=4 April 2016|accessdate=3 February 2019}} The brewery was given permission to develop from the town council in late 2016. The site was purchased for development in November 2017 following a £1.7 million investment, mostly from crowdfunding.{{cite news|url=https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/11/chapel-down-completes-payment-for-1-6-acre-curious-brewery-site/|title=Chapel Down completes payment for 1.6 acre Curious Brewery site|work=The Drinks Business|date=1 November 2017|accessdate=2 February 2019}}

The company chose to invest in Ashford because of its prominent location on the High Speed 1 railway. The brewery own a bar inside St Pancras railway station, London, at the other end of the line.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/19/hs2-all-stations-regeneration-work-begins-earnest-london-euston|title=All stations to regeneration? Work on HS2 begins in earnest|newspaper=The Guardian|date=19 January 2019|accessdate=2 February 2019}} The premises were planned to be fully open in April 2019 with a production capacity of {{Convert|2000000|litres|impgal|abbr=|spell=in}}, with an accompanying restaurant and visitors centre.{{cite news|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/brewery-set-to-open-this-year-181026/|title=Curious Brewery in Ashford set to open later this year|work=Kent Online|date=7 April 2018|accessdate=2 February 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/brewery-opening-delayed-199869/|title=Opening of Curious Brewery in Ashford delayed until April|first=Charlie|last=Harman|work=Kent Online|date=3 March 2019|accessdate=5 March 2019}} The people who donated to the crowdfunding scheme, which raised £1.16 million of the funds, receive a discount on products, with those contributing over £25,000 having their names engraved on one of the fermentation tanks. A waterfall was constructed on one side of the premises.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/drinks/somethings-brewing-english-wine-producers-moving-beer-cider/|title=Something's brewing: the English wine producers moving into beer, cider, vodka, and gin|newspaper=Daily Telegraph|date=22 February 2019|accessdate=5 March 2019}}

In March 2019, the brewery announced that the new premises would not be fully open until the end of May owing to a problem with the groundwork. Once open, production in Ashford would quadruple from the existing capacity, catering for up to {{convert|170000|imppt|L}} of beer at any one time.{{cite news|url=https://barmagazine.co.uk/new-curious-brewery-facility-to-quadruple-production/|title=New Curious Brewery facility to 'quadruple' production|work=Bar Magazine|date=2 May 2019|accessdate=2 May 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/chapel-down-brewery-delayed-again-203218/|title=Curious Brewery opening delayed in Victoria Road, Ashford|work=Kent Online|date=23 April 2019|accessdate=2 May 2019}} It opened on 10 May.{{cite news|url=https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2019/05/curious-brew-open-new-brewery-bar-shop-and-restaurant/|title=Curious Brewery opens new "Cathedral of Brewing" in Kent|work=The Drinks Business|date=13 May 2019|accessdate=20 May 2019}}

In February 2021, following a catastrophic loss in trade following the COVID-19 pandemic, Chapel Down put the brewery business in administration.{{cite news|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent-business/county-news/winemaker-to-ditch-its-beer-and-cider-brand-242199/|title=Tenterden's Chapel Down disposes of Curious beer and cider brand, and its brewery in Ashford, with private equity firm Risk Capital Partners poised to takeover|work=Kent Online|date=9 February 2021|accessdate=3 March 2021}} It was subsequently sold to Luke Johnson's Risk Capital Partners, who stressed there would be no redundancies.{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/549a1896-ce80-431b-8636-5e93f89d2ed9|title=Luke Johnson launches fresh attempt to sell bakery chain Gail's|newspaper=Financial Times|date=25 May 2021|accessdate=24 March 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2021/02/09/Is-Curious-Brewery-being-sold|title=Chapel Down disposes of Curious Drinks to Risk Capital Partners|work=Morning Advertiser|date=9 February 2021|accessdate=3 March 2021}}

In January 2023, it was announced that Curious Brewing had acquired Wild Beer Co, based in Shepton Mallet, Dorset. Wild Beer Co had previously revealed their planned closure due to waning finances and challenges connected with rising costs.{{cite news|url=https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2023/01/curious-brewery-acquires-wild-beer-co/|title=Curious Brewery acquires Wild Beer Co|work=The Drinks Business|date=9 January 2023|accessdate=9 January 2023}}

On 29 September 2023, Curious Brewing was bought by St. Peter's Brewery based in Suffolk.{{cite news |last1=Jee |first1=Alex |title=Kent brewer bought out by rival |url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/tenterden/news/kent-brewer-bought-out-by-rival-294778/ |access-date=8 October 2023 |work=Kent Online |date=8 October 2023 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Report: St Peter’s acquires Curious Brewery - Beer Today |url=https://beertoday.co.uk/2023/10/07/st-peters-curious-brewery-1023/ |website=beertoday.co.uk |access-date=8 October 2023 |language=en |date=7 October 2023}}

File:Curious Brewery building.jpg

The brewery is located on a {{convert|1.6|acre|adj=on}} former brownfield site on Victoria Road, near Ashford International station. The ground floor includes {{convert|1000|sqft}} of publicly-accessible areas including a shop and bar. Elsewhere, there is a {{convert|4000|sqft}} bar with two dining rooms. A waterfall is installed down a side of the building. The premises is on a brownfield site that previously housed the Beaver Road School, which was demolished by a bomb during World War II on 24 March 1943. The brewhouse is named "Miss Adams", in honour of the school's head teacher who managed to evacuate all children immediately before the blast.{{cite web|url=https://www.ashfordfor.com/index.php/news/curious-brewery-open|title=The Curious Brewery opens in Ashford|work=Ashford For|date=13 May 2019|accessdate=20 May 2019}}

The company produces a variety of beers and lagers, using winemaking methods. These include Curious Brew and Curious IPA. As well as draught products, the group produces Curious Session IPA in cans, which was launched on Beer Can Appreciation Day, 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.virginmediatelevision.ie/xpose/article/lifestyle/285276/4-trendy-tinnies-to-toast-Beer-Can-Appreciation-Day|title=4 trendy tinnies to toast Beer Can Appreciation Day|work=xpose.ie|date=24 January 2019|accessdate=3 February 2019|archive-date=4 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204014314/https://www.virginmediatelevision.ie/xpose/article/lifestyle/285276/4-trendy-tinnies-to-toast-Beer-Can-Appreciation-Day|url-status=dead}} At 4.4% alcohol by volume (ABV), it replaced the stronger Curious IPA at 5.6% ABV.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2018/09/12/Curious-Brew-Curious-IPA-availability|title=Curious Brew IPA availability|magazine=Morning Advertiser|date=12 September 2018|accessdate=3 February 2019}}

The brewery won the 2021 UK Brewer of the Year at the International Beer Challenge, after being judged the best brewer by an expert panel of 70.{{cite news|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/whats-on/news/brewery-wins-industry-award-212987/|title=Ashford-based Curious Brewing wins UK Brewer of the Year at the International Beer Challenge|work=Kent Online|date=26 September 2019|accessdate=24 March 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://drinksint.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/8501/Paper_Planes_wins_top_prize_at_International_Beer_Challenge_Awards_2019.html|title=Paper Planes wins top prize at International Beer Challenge Awards 2019|work=Drinks International|date=3 September 2019|accessdate=24 March 2022}}

A special selection of "Curiouser and Curiouser" beers has been introduced. The name comes from the novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland where Alice said that things were getting "curiouser and curiouser".{{cite magazine|url=https://barmagazine.co.uk/curious-brewery-embarks-on-series-of-limited-editions/|title=Curious Brewery embarks on series of limited editions|magazine=Bar Magazine|date=14 May 2018|accessdate=3 February 2019}}

{{reflist}}

{{coord|51|08|38|N|00|52|21|E|display=title}}

Category:Ashford, Kent

Category:Breweries in England

Category:Companies based in Kent

Category:Food and drink companies established in 2011

Category:2011 establishments in England