A "sleeping giant" awakes

Krones sales director Mark Heath with David Robinson

Robinsons invests in flexible, energy efficient brewhouse

British family brewer Robinsons is staking its claim to an expanding future, placing a £4 million order with Krones for a complete brewhouse at its Unicorn Brewery site in Stockport.

Robinsons’ shopping list included a wet mill, mash tun, lauter tun, wort kettle, whirlpool, liquor treatment and an energy recovery system. All vessels are sized for a 200 hectolitre brew length but shorter runs are certainly welcome commercial possibilities.

“The new brewhouse gives us the opportunity to do more contract brewing,” said commercial director Oliver Robinson. “One issue that has been in the past is the number of requests for contract brewing we have had to turn down. Before we could brew only 120 barrels, now that we can brew 60 barrels we can be more competitive.”

Founded in 1838 by William Robinson, the brewing and pub company is now run by the fifth and sixth generations of the family.
 
“To see a family brewer investing £4 million pounds, it’s telling everyone that we are here to stay. We’re keeping it in the family,” commented Robinson.
 
A planning application has been submitted for the instillation of new external hot and cold water tanks which, if approved, will be phase one of the installation work. Removal of the tanks will make ingress into the Unicorn Brewery easier for the new equipment into the Unicorn Brewery.

The brewery’s renovations are expected to be completed in early autumn 2011. Prior to the brewhouse investment, Robinsons ploughed £2 million into the Unicorn Packaging Centre, located three miles from the brewery site.

In other news, Robinson’s has hired their first marketing director, David Bremner, who is tasked with opening new distribution channels for the brand portfolio. Bremner will also support the company’s pub estate with retail marketing initiatives.

“We have approaching 400 pubs and a new brewery planned. We needed someone to bring our offer to life and deliver our ambition to evolve and meet the demands of the modern era,” said Robinson. “So far Robinsons has been a sleeping giant and it’s time to wake up.”