Cain's to Return to Liverpool?

Readers of this blog will recall that Robert Cain, based in the old Higson's Brewery (itself the original Cain's Brewery) in Stanhope St, Liverpool, closed under somewaht of a shitstorm in May 2013. See the Liverpool Echo here for full details.

Suffice to say that the Dusanj brothers who bought the brewery had a somewhat chequered career in brewing and pub running, but finished with an idea of turning the Stanhope St site and its historic Grade 2 listed brewery into a "Brewery Village" with a hotel, beer hall and whatnot.  This never happened, though there is some beery activity on the site on a small scale now.

Now it seems it will. Local entrepreneur - well Rainford, but that's close enough - Andrew Mikhail, has taken the plan forward and in a £7 million plan, agreed a deal with owner (I think)  Sid Dusanj to take over the Cains brand and bring forward his 15,000 sq ft scheme on three levels of the original Cains Brewery building. Plans include a craft-brewery with cask and keg beers, an Altrincham-market style venture for artisan food & drink lovers, and a state of the art sky bar.

In addition, another bar with capacity for 120, already named as The Quarter Hoop, plus a brewery hall housing 400 guests will sit alongside the existing Brewery Tap and the Punch Tarmey brand (part of Mr. Mikhail’s existing portfolio) that will operate on the other side of the brewery.

The development will take place in four phases over three years include in  phase one, Punch Tarmey, an artisan food and drink hall. The brewery will follow in phase two, the sky bar in phase three and the hotel in phase four. Mikhail said the new Cains Brewery project will create 200 jobs and will partly model itself on Guinness Brewery in Ireland. He added: “For example, we’re going to create one of the biggest Irish bars in the industry that will be sports-led, include brewery tours, lots of customer interaction with a child-friendly, family-friendly vibe.” 

The building is wonderful and I for one certainly hope this all comes to fruition. There are already many reasons for the beer lover to go to Liverpool and hopefully, fingers crossed, this will be one more.

The revival of the Cain's brand is interesting, with Higson's (without the famous bitter, already revived), history is being recreated in Scousley.

Wonder if the Dusanj brothers are getting a cut? Who will own the site? Dunno, but watch this space.

Even More Trouble Brewing

Following my post yesterday, in which I hinted that more news might be forthcoming, it seems that all brewing will be suspended (cease) at Cains of Liverpool, with Cains own beers being outsourced meantime, as the brew length will not economically permit the production of  the ensuing reduced volume of beer, which I understand, even with supermarket beer, had fallen to around 12,000 barrels. All hopes are being pinned on a site re-development into a leisure complex with a "brewing village" for which planning permission is being sought. The plans will be submitted to Liverpool council in the summer, and if approved work could start next year. The re-developed site would not be open for at least 18 months to two years, so presumably brewing will be "suspended" until at least then if all goes well.

Will the brewery ever re-open? Maybe we shouldn't hold our breath on that one.

The Echo has it all here again.  I'll keep you informed.

More Trouble Brewing

Cain's of Liverpool has had a somewhat chequered history since taking over the old Higsons brewery in Liverpool.  I have written about them before.

Yesterday I mentioned them as one of the UK's leading brewer's of low margin supermarket beer in the context of Thwaites leaving that market.  Today I learn by a phone call from a brewer friend that more trouble has ensued.  The Liverpool Echo tells me that with immediate effect that Cain's are ceasing their brewing of supermarket beers as they incur a loss.  38 jobs will go.  Those of us who follow Cains will doubt, despite assurances that the rest of the operation and pubs aren't affected, that this will be the end of the matter.

But we'll have to wait and see,  One thing is for sure as former employees head to the Jobcentre.  Supermarket own brand beer comes at quite a price despite its cheapness.

The Echo story can be read here.

In My Liverpool Home

Even as a former resident of the City of Liverpool, I often find it hard to like Liverpool's  Cain's Brewery, due to a number of factors, not least of which is that their beer is pretty much crap. Nonetheless, I am on their email list and couldn't resist showing you all this pump clip for their newest beer, Blonde Bird Ale, featuring the wonderful city emblem of the Liver Bird. It is  the first new cask beer brewed by their new Head Brewer, Jim Kerr.

Hopefully the beer will be really good - I do hope so - but either way, I love the pumpclip.



For me though, Cain's Brewery will always be Higson's Brewery even though it started out as, err, well, Cain's Brewery.  It's a long story.

McCains?

According to the Morning Advertiser, the Scottish company that rescued Isle of Arran Brewery has bid for all of Cains (whatever that means). The brewery would stay open.

They are confident of success. The story is here.

The Glasgow Herald more detailed version is here.