McLaren Vale Beer Company (MVBC) officially began production in its new Willunga Brewery on 16 July 2012.
The new four-vessel, 35hL Diversified Metal Engineering brewery is now fully operational and will produce all keg beer in the current Vale range, including Vale Ale, Vale Dry, Vale Drk and Vale IPA.
En route to cementing a firm place in the craft beer industry, MVBC has eagerly planned to open a brewery in its hometown since the company’s inception in 2008. Finally seeing this goal come to fruition, the entire MVBC team is keen to continue bringing its products to the market.
Head Brewer, Jeff Wright says he can’t wait to toast the new place with a few mates. “It’s been a long and hard couple of years but an incredibly satisfying ride,” he says. “This brewery really amplifies the possibilities for us. We&rsqrsquo;re definitely in for an exciting future’
Josh Stuart, MVBC’s General Manager of Operations, Brand and Hospitality agrees, saying that Willunga will allow the company to hold a wider presence in the local community. “It further moves to reinforce our SA roots, with over 90 percent of the team being of South Australian Heritage,’ he says.
This new brewery joins the company’s hospitality venue, The Vale/Inn Taphouse and Kitchen, offering a solid link between the local production of MVBC’s craft beer and the hospitality side of brewing.
Having already expanded from a one-man operation to a fully-staffed established brewer in four years, the McLaren Vale Beer Company is likely to see more growth as a result of its new brewery.
For contact information, see mvbeer.com
By Ena Hadziselimovic