A microbrewery is to form part of a £150m redevelopment of the former Courage Brewery in Bristol. Work on the three-year project is expected to start in Feb-ruary next year. The 30,000sq ft site, which will see new housing, offices, leisure, and retail uses, will also house a microbrewery, capable of producing enough beer for a local pub and around 12 barrels a week for others. Local brewers, including Bath Ales and Bristol-based Smiles Brewers, are thought to be among the bidders, and the business should become operational towards the middle or end of the build. Commenting on the move to include the brewery, Graham Parker, director at application agent CSJ Planning, said: "It should also attract people to the site and keep up the flow in and out of the site during the day." Scottish Courage moved production of Courage Directors and Best Bitter to Tadcaster at the end of September, with the loss of 71 jobs. By the end of 41 years of Courage ownership, the site had become the largest plant in the world to produce only real ale. Scottish Courage cites "falling demand" for cask beer as the reason for the closure.
