Planning permission for Innis & Gunn’s brewery at Heriot-WattUniversity’s Research Park has officially been granted by The City of Edinburgh Council. Two years ago, the No. 2 craft brewer in the UK off-trade, already revealed plans to build a 400,000 hl brewery, a taproom and a visitor center in Scotland's capital. (inside.beer, 17.9.2019)
Plans for the brewery had taken a natural pause due to the impacts of the pandemic, but “we are committed to building the brewery when the time is right,” Innis & Gunn said in a statement on Thursday. “Although we cannot give an exact date for breaking ground, the longer timeframe does have some positives including more options in the market for the best low-carbon equipment and technology, which have the potential to change the game in terms of energy usage in brewing and packaging processes," the brewery added.
Spanning a two-hectare site, the new facility will provide increased brewing capacity for continued growth both in the UK and internationally. Projections also call for collaboration between Innis & Gunn and Heriot-Watt University. Plans are being drawn up to ensure that students from the world-renowned School of Brewing and Distilling undertake work experience at the brewery and learn on the job. Further collaboration between Innis & Gunn and Heriot-Watt University is envisaged in fields such as low carbon brewing technologies, product and packaging innovation, and new product development.
“I have wanted to build this brewery in Edinburgh for almost two decades and as the business has grown and gone from strength to strength, the importance has only increased. To have planning permission now granted at such an inspiring site is an important step forward,” said Douglas Gunn Sharp, Founder of Innis & Gunn.
This will be the first major brewery to be built in Edinburgh for over 150 years.
