Wild Beer Co persists after acquisition by Curious Brewery

Curious Brewery has reached an agreement to add Wild Beer Co to its portfolio, an acquisition that will double the size of the existing Curious operation.

The agreement comes after Wild Beer Co, the Somerset, UK-based company, went into administration last month, five years after securing almost £1.8m in crowdfunding from investors for a state-of-the-art venue that was never built.

Commenting on the acquisition, Curious Brewery chairman, Mark Crowther, said: “This new chapter for Wild Beer Co will bring some stability, placing the business on a sure footing. For Curious, this is an important step in our journey to become one of the UK’s leading brewers of specialist, premium beer and ciders.

“The Wild Beer Co acquisition brings a lot of positives including high-quality beers and distinctive brands, impressive distribution in both the on and off-trade, as well as a significant direct-to-consumer e-commerce operation,” Crowther continued.

Curious Brewery, which was acquired out of the Chapel Down English wine business, has its operations in Kent, England, where it has a current production capacity of five million pints per year and potential to expand upwards of 15 million pints per year.

Following the transaction, Wild Beer Co’s portfolio, led by flagship brew Wild IPA, will sit alongside Curious’ English lager, Curious Brew and its Curious Session IPA and Curious Apple cider.

As part of the deal, Curious Brewery intends to honour the subscriptions and regular discounts available to current members of Wild Beer Co’s Secret Cellar Club and previous shareholders.