The south London business, which has been an essential stop on the famed Bermondsey Beer Mile for Saturday drinkers, is owned by craft beer portfolio business In Good Company and will switch brewing to the north in mid-September.
All production will be housed at Magic Rock’s state-of-the-art brewing facility in Huddersfield, which is also owned by In Good Company.
The move will include the closure of Fourpure’s taproom at its current Bermondsey site but In Good Company has confirmed it is actively looking for a new home for the brand in the capital.
In Good Company, which also brews non-alcoholic craft beer under licence for brand Big Drop, said while NielsenIQ data shows buoyant sales figures with Fourpure up by 41.7% year on year, the decision to relocate has been made to future-proof the business amid a challenging time for the craft beer and hospitality industries.
Capacity increase in Huddersfield
The consolidation will mean a significant increase in capacity in Huddersfield, as well as growing the brewing team on the ground at that location – ensuring continuity in supply of the well-established range of Fourpure products.
In Good Company CEO Steve Cox said: “It is with huge sadness that we’ll leave the brewery and taproom that has been Fourpure’s home since 2013.
“The decision to relocate is one of the commercial realities we face in order to safeguard the Fourpure brand for the future, as well as allowing the business to grow and innovate.
“We are confident it is the right move in these circumstances and we are lucky to already have a state-of-the-art brewing facility at Magic Rock in Huddersfield, meaning there is very minimal impact to production.
“As well as ensuring delivery of all commitments to our customers and partners, our absolute priority is to protect jobs.
Jobs will be lost
“Staff on our London brewing team will obviously be affected by this decision and there will be opportunities for certain roles to relocate to Huddersfield as part of the expansion of that site, however, we appreciate that this won’t be possible for everyone.
“Our wider team based in London, who are not physically involved in the brewing or the taproom – including the sales, marketing and finance teams – will be unaffected.”
Fourpure was acquired by Australian beer giant Lion in 2018 with CEO and co-founder Daniel Lowe stating at the time: “Haters will hate and people will say what they want to say, but ultimately the people drinking the beer will have the final word.”
However, Lion sold both Fourpure and Magic Rock, which it acquired in 2019, to Odyssey Inns in August 2022.
Cox said in 2022: “This is an incredible opportunity to take two exceptional brands, Fourpure and Magic Rock, to the next level. Combined with an excellent hospitality proposition, fantastic people and state-of-the-art breweries, we really have the platform to do great things.”
In fact, under the banner of In Good Company, both brands were reinstated as members of what is now the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA) – the first time any brewing businesses have been granted membership back after departing.
