Black Sheep Brewery rebrand will help expand reach

11-Mar-2024 - Last updated on 11-Mar-2024 at 08:47 GMT

Flock star: Black Sheep bosses expect the rebrand to become a talking point for customers

North Yorkshire-based Black Sheep Brewery has announced its biggest rebrand since it was founded more than 31 years ago.

The rebrand follows the announcement that £1m would be invested in the brewery’s Masham site, ensuring it will become a centre for brewing excellence.

The new design will feature across all Black Sheep Brewery beers, included cask, keg and bottles, as well as online merchandise.

The iconic black sheep will take pride of place on all products along with the brand’s brewing credentials while use of fresh Dales water has been brought to the fore too.

Expand customer base

Jo Theakston, marketing director of the Keystone Brewing Group, which was Breal Group and acquired Black Sheep Brewery in May 2023, said the rebrand will also support the business’s strategy to continue expanding its customer base nationally as its look to increase distribution outside of its north-east heartland into the midlands and the south.

The new branding will make its debut at the Northern Restaurant & Bar on Tuesday 12 March, giving those in the industry a chance to see the new look Black Sheep Brewery, before it hits bars and pubs across the country in the coming weeks.

Theakston said: “Black Sheep Brewery was born from 200 years of brewing experience and a family rebellion. Founded by my father Paul, to brew the highest quality beer without ever compromising on quality – 31 years later, our ethos and our iconic beers remain the same: we brew to challenge convention, with fresh Dales water in Masham, Yorkshire.”

Talking point

Theakston continued: “We’re particularly excited about how the rebrand will play out in the on-trade channels via pump clips, bar mats, PoS, not to mention bottled product. The new branding is set to capture consumers’ attention while remaining familiar enough to reassure them that they’re drinking a high-quality Black Sheep brew.

“The new-look range is sure to be a talking point among drinkers and provides licensees an opportunity to refresh and reinvigorate their current cask and keg offering.”

Paul Theakston, a fifth-generation brewer, chose to depart from the Theakston family business in 1992 and establish his own brewery in Theakston’s home of Masham. In doing so, he became the ‘black sheep’ of the family and thus the brewery was born.

Keystone Brewing Group CEO Mark Williams added: “With this rebrand, we will ensure to continue Paul’s legacy, by investing heavily to champion growth and secure our future right here in our ancestral home.”