BrewDog to open Brighton site

Craft beer group BrewDog is to open a new site in Brighton.

The group's plans to expand in the seaside town were first announced in June last year, but an exact site was not named. It will now undertake a full refurbishment of the 2,000 sq ft venue, which was formerly the Blind Tiger Club on Grand Parade, including adding in a kitchen. The club's previous capacity was at 300 people, but this may change post-refurb. An opening date is yet to be announced.

Stephen Hogan, bar hunter for BrewDog, said: "We are hugely excited to finally acquire a Brighton venue as we have been looking here for some time. Brighton's cool independent vibe along with a growing craft beer scene makes it an incredible place for us to open a new bar."

The Blind Tiger Club closed in May last year after receiving complaints about noise, and the venue, which is near the University of Brighton Faculty of Arts and the proposed Circus Street development behind it, has remained unused in the interim.

The property unit has been let by Fleurets. Sales negotiator Kate Dowd said that BrewDog was a good match for the southern city as it had been previously lacking in free- of-tie leaseholds.

BrewDog was first founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie. Starting in Aberdeen with second-hand equipment and just one bar, it now runs to 27 sites across the world, including in cities such as Barcelona, Helsinki, Tokyo, and Sao Paolo, Birmingham, Nottingham, and London.

It also sells bottled beer across the world, and late last month announced a crowdfunding bid to raise £25m to help fund expansion to its brewery and international bar division.

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