Truman's owners seek east London brewery site
The owners of the east London beer brand Truman's are calling on ale drinkers in the capital to help them find a site for its new brewery.
James Morgan and Michael-George Hemus refounded the brand in 2010. Truman's was brewed in East London for more than 300 years, most recently at the Black Eagle Brewery in Brick Lane, where production stopped in 1989.
The beer is currently brewed under licence at the Nethergate brewery in Essex.
Morgan said: "We've been looking very hard for a site over the last year and despite a few near misses, we're still looking."
"But East London is a big place and not every potential site is currently on the market. As such, we thought it would be wise to ‘crowdsource' our search and tap into the local knowledge of East Londoners."
Hemus added: "We do have a bid with the Olympic Legacy Committee to take over a part of the Olympic site after the games. A number of potential developers have expressed an interest, but we are talking 2013 before we even get a spade in the ground. And we are determined to be brewing Truman's back in London by the end of 2012."
Potential sites must meet the following criteria:
• In East London (boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forrest or Newham)
• Commercial premises
• Between 6,000-8,000 square feet (2 to 4 tennis courts in size)
• Good access
• Part of the site must be convertible to ‘double height' (five metres and above)
A year's supply of beer - 500 bottles of Truman's Runner ale - is on offer to the person that finds the eventual site.
Founded in 1666, Truman's hit hard times in the 1960s in the face of imported lagers and closed its Burton brewery before being taken over in the 1970s by Grand Metropolitan which merged it with Watney Mann and switched the brand name to Truman and switched to kegs. Although the Truman's eagle and casks were brought back in the 1980s, it was too late to stop the brand's demise.
In 2010, the Truman's brand Morgan and Hemus bought the rights to the name from Scottish and Newcastle.
Entries can be made by sending an email to brewery@trumansbeer.co.uk. Morgan and Hemus have asked for the address of the site (including post code), current status (leased, vacant, derelict, etc.) and the contact number of the site owner (if known) to be included. Entries must be in by March 1st 2012.
Summer Runner bitter from Truman's >>
By Neil Gerrard
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