Salford-based brewery, Strange Times Brewing Co recently launched their crowdfund campaign to set in motion their plans for growth. The brewery is aiming to reach £40,000 by 11 am on Friday 9th December to help them purchase an on-site canning machine so that they can distribute their beers nationwide.
To incentivise donations, the brewery is offering a rewards-based system with supporters receiving different benefits based on the amount they give, including cans of beer and exclusive merchandise. If successful, the brewery will be able to open an online shop, sell directly to the public and help keep prices competitive, as well as allow them to employ more team members.
Alex Lord, Founder and Company Director, started the business during the COVID-19 pandemic as he had a passion for creating his own brewery after over 26 years in hospitality and brewing. Along with Lauren Guy, Head Brewer and Aaron Barton-Wells, Assistant Brewer, the business has continued to grow at pace whilst focusing on delivering quality and consistency across the five core beers available. Now, almost 30 pubs within a 25-mile radius stock their products in places like Manchester, Preston, Stockport, Huddersfield and their home of Salford.
Most of the beers are vegan, except for their honey beer where a proportion of sales go to bee charities. The brewery has sustainability at its heart and is aiming to minimise its impact on the planet, by reusing core ingredients for composting, animal feed and fuel and reusing stainless steel kegs throughout their lifetime. They chose Artist Mina Mond to design the packaging as they knew it would stand out against competitors on the shelf. Each of the company’s beers is tied to a tarot card, bringing the stories to life through these unique illustrations.
Commenting on the campaign, Alex said:
“Since we launched last month, we’ve seen huge progress showing the appetite from people who want to support local brewers. Raising the full total would allow us to continue our growth after building a strong fanbase in and around Manchester and Salford, giving us the chance to expand across the UK. If you want to help us spread the word, tell your friends, partners and colleagues as you could help us get across the line!”
To support the campaign, the brewery has created an official video to help people meet the team and understand their mission. If you would like to learn more about Strange Times Brewing Co’s campaign, visit their crowdfunder page now.