Keystone Brewing Group has received a GBP2m (US$2.7m) injection from shareholders at parent company Breal Group.
The UK-based business has set a target of doubling its sales over the next 12 months, having hit GBP14.5m in the 12 months to the end of March 2024 (its most recent, publicly available results). The investment will help Keystone to “meet increasing demand for its products in export, and both on-and off-trade channels”.
Some of the planned infrastructure upgrades include a 30,000-hectolitre increase in annual fermentation capacity at Black Sheep Brewery in Yorkshire; a 6,000-hectolitre lift in annual fermentation capacity at Purity Brewing Co in Warwickshire; a high-volume canning facility that will up output from 2,500 to 14,000 cans per hour at Black Sheep, and a pasteurisation facility, also at Black Sheep.
Keystone is aiming to achieve GBP100m of sales by 2028, for which Mark Williams, Breal partner and shareholder, said it is “on track”.
“This investment marks a further major milestone for Keystone as we continue to scale,” said CEO Steve Cox, who took the wheel in March. “With new breweries and brands joining the group and demand rising, it gives us the agility and infrastructure to expand capacity while staying true to the quality and character of each of the brands.
“We’re well-equipped to grow in a way that’s both ambitious and sustainable.”
Earlier this year, Keystone was named the exclusive distribution partner for the Hofmeister beer brand in England, Scotland and Wales.
