For the first time, Spanish brewer S.A. Damm plans to brew their flagship brand Estrella Damm outside the Iberian Peninsula. After nearly 18 months since acquiring Eagle Brewery in Bedford, UK (inside.beer, 7.11.2022), the brewer is set to produce the beer from scratch at the site.
As reported by The Times, Damm is investing GBP 50 million (USD 62.8m) to build a "state-of-the-art brewery" in Bedford. A spokesperson for Damm emphasized to The Times: "The UK represents the most significant market for Estrella Damm outside its home country. This investment in Bedford, where we will be producing some formats, reflects our long-term commitment to the country and our dedication to UK consumers. Bedford is strategically located within the UK. Its proximity to London makes the location very attractive for us."
Since 2010, when the brewery was still owned by local family brewers Charles Wells, "bright beer" was shipped here from their El Prat Brewery near Barcelona for final processing before packaging and distribution to 10,000 UK bars and restaurants. Damm maintained this arrangement with Marston’s, later Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company, after acquiring the site in 2017, before taking full ownership of the one-million-hectoliter facility in November 2022.
