BREAKING NEWS!
Today we're very excited to announce some breaking news . Our first ever Press Release has just been sent to the local media to herald the official opening of our new Brewery on the 29th of March 2024 (a very Good... Good Friday!) For the last few months we have been working hard to get everything ready for our big day and the amazing joiners, painters and electricians of Harris have been here from dusk 'til dawn. We would never have achieved this mad project without their help, their patience and their encouragement and we want to thank them all. We should also thank the poor postmen and delivery drivers who have kept a constant stream of exceptionally heavy packages arriving at our door!
Stop Press, the worst kept secret in Harris
When we are asked in the local shop, An Clachan what we are planning for the new Brewery we have been happy to share as much as we knew (!) but at last we are able nail down the details and start really spreading the word about what we are doing, and maybe more importantly why. This is only the second time I have ever had to write a press release and as you will know, formal is not really us. So a blog post seemed like a great chance to tell all without the blah, blah, blah!
It's now about nine months since we teamed up with our neighbours Euan and Morag and came up with the crazy idea of opening a Brewery Taproom and Restaurant at the Pier in Leverburgh. After South Harris lost two much loved bars and restaurants in recent years, we knew that local people and visitors were hungry for a new place to enjoy Hebridean food, drink and hospitality so our aim was always to share our love of all things local as far as possible. So alongside the new larger Brewery we are also including a Taproom, Restaurant and Deli. The new space means our customers can enjoy beer brewed in house, a full three course meal or fill a shopping basket from the crofts, lochs, hills and seas of the Hebrides. After dark, the Brewery will host regular live music sessions featuring local and visiting artists.
The Taproom & Restaurant
We've saved the big reveal of what everything will look like until we open but here is what you can expect from the new Brewery. From the new Taproom customers will be able to see everything that is happening in the new Brewing space and enjoy twelve of our core beers on tap as well as beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks from the Hebrides and beyond.
The taproom restaurant will be serving breakfast classics like the Full Scottish from 10am and a core menu from midday until 8.30pm. Ingredients have been carefully chosen from small local producers and will showcase locally landed fish and shellfish, Harris raised meat and game, plant- based options and allergy safe alternatives. We have even sourced bar snacks made in Harris!
We can seat up to fifty in the Taproom and (when the Hebridean weather allows) there are extra tables on a shorefront deck and beer garden. For customers on the go the new Bottleshop & Deli includes the largest range of Hebridean food and drink available in the Isle of Harris. The deli shelves will be filled with a carefully curated selection of over 100 beers from breweries across Scotland and further afield as well as artisan food and drink from the Hebrides. From the deli, customers can also order a coffee, takeaway or choose from the grab-and-go counter.
Every Press release needs a quote
It's true that there is always a thank you quote in every press release but there is a good reason for that. We are very fortunate in the Outer Hebrides to have great business support from two local agencies and we might not have considered taking on such a huge project without knowing that they, and their staff were there to help us. This is our official quote... “This ambitious project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the CNES Business Gateway Covid Economic Recovery Grant and the Outer Hebrides Young Enterprise Support Scheme”.
When we were planning our Official Opening Night we wondered whether to ask people to apply for a free ticket to keep the numbers down but like all the best Hebridean cèilidhs we decided to welcome one and all. From 6pm the bar will be open, local musicians will be playing for us and the chef will be rustling up a few bar snacks to give people a flavour of his menu. We hope you will join us if you're close by or visit next time you are in Harris. The team are ready to welcome you for "Beer at the Pier" very soon.
NICK, ANNA, EUAN, MORAG & SPUD THE BREWERY DOG
