Before we go into the three key initiatives we’ll be setting our sights on with the backing of you, our community, we just want to say thank you.
The response to Join the Rising has been phenomenal, and we can’t wait to bring you on the journey with us. Thanks for the support and thanks for putting up with the flurry of emails we’ve sent – well, Northerners DO love Spam.
Before our crowd funding goes live tomorrow (17 Oct) here’s a debrief on the three key initiatives we’re setting our sights on which your investment will power us towards, as we enter a new chapter with our community, and embark on becoming the biggest craft brewery in Europe by 2035.
What will we use the money for?
A FLAGSHIP SITE IN LONDON - A Northern Monk outpost in the heart of the capital.
This has been on the cards for years. We had ambitious plans and investment in place for a £1.5M brewpub on Kingsland Rd in Shoreditch. Then Covid hit. Our brand is resonating nationally, with sales of Faith in a Tesco in Brighton in one week being the same as a Tesco in Leeds last time we checked. A brand beacon for our Monk drinking community in the heart of the capital is essential. This is the first in a new wave of new taprooms across the UK we are aiming to open in the coming years.
Image for illustrative purposes onlyELEVATE OUR ORIGINAL BREWERY – Become the UK’s No.1 craft beer tourist destination
We are on a mission to become a true household name. Many of the UK’s most recognised food and drinks brands are investing heavily on customer experience.
The Guinness storehouse welcomed 1.5million tourists in 2023 and is Ireland's no.1 tourist attraction. We believe the Old Flax Store has the potential to become the UK’s no.1 craft beer tourist destination. As the 2nd most checked-in brewery tap room in the UK on Untappd, a short walk from one of the UK’s busiest transport hubs, our original brewery and tap room housed in a Grade II listed flax mill is perfectly placed to become the UK’s best craft beer visitor experience.
Image for illustrative purposes only
BREWERY EXPANSION - Investing in three key areas to turbo charge sales from our brewery.
- Operating efficiencies
- Plan to become 100% self-reliant by generating our own nitrogen and only using CO2 captured from our brewery.
- Investment for complete hygienic isolation and segregation of brewhouse, fermentation cellar, bright cellar and packaging.
- Additional Capacity
- Additional tanks to achieve 73khl / 44% increase in brewing capacity.
- Upgrading keg fillers to increase filling capacity by 250%, reduce keg costs and improving quality.
- Upgrading our centrifuge to realise 7% yield improvement.
- On Trade Investment to drive visibility and sales
- New Monk branded new tap handles, light boxes, beer garden umbrellas and mobile bars, so bars shout about Monk
- Enhanced presence at trade shows and festivals.
Today (16 Oct) is the last day to sign up for Early Access, which you can do here.
Setting out our ambition to be the biggest craft brewery in Europe* is no small feat. No doubt there will be many challenges ahead, but our belief is steadfast, and our mission is clear. We are constantly inspired and have deep respect for our peers that have chosen to stay at a smaller size. From the outset we have been ambitious, part of our mission reads “to grow in stature as we grow in scale”. As long as we feel we can add value to our customers whilst using our growth to support our community, we will absolutely do just that.
We have come so far in the last 11 years. With you alongside us, we’re incredibly excited for what the next 11 years will bring.
Cheers
Team Monk
* We have no ambition to have a massive bar estate, no plans to take on macro lager. This is about sales in Europe. This is about being the biggest true craft brewer selling craft beer within Europe and growing our business to more than £150 million by 2035.