Plenty brewing at Randall's new HQ

RANDALL'S new site off St George's Esplanade will be home to a brewery shipped all the way from Canada. The company is moving out of Vauxlaurens Brewery, St Julian's Avenue, where it has been since 1868, to a more purpose-built complex.

Randall's managing director Ian Rogers said the new micro-brewery was due to arrive in October from Diversified Metal Engineering Brewing Services. Its new headquarters is expected to be ready in September.

Once the new brewery is up and running, Mr Rogers said the plan was to open it as a visitor attraction.

'DME are one of the main producers of breweries in the world right now,' he said.

'All the vessels of the brewery will be designed and built to our specification and delivered on a container ship. From the harbour, they will be delivered and connected up straight away.

'It's a modern brewery which fits better with the size of production we need.'

Mr Rogers said Randall's was leasing the property from a third party, but would not reveal further details about its acquisition. Work on the site began three months ago.

'At St Julian's Avenue we are on multiple levels and the equipment just isn't efficient enough for us.

'At St George's Esplanade the main part of the building will be the warehouse and it will all be on one floor.'

In addition to the warehouse and offices, Randall's will be opening its own visitor centre, which will include old Victorian brewery equipment such as the gunmetal plates of the old mash tun.

There will be a bar for the tasting of Randall's own brews, pictures of the company's history and a large glass window at the rear of the property looking out onto the new micro-brewery.

Mr Rogers envisaged running two tours every Saturday for groups of about 12 people.

'We will be able to have tours showing off the old Victorian equipment as well as the new brewery and telling them about Randall's history before ending with a tasting at the bar.

'It will involve liaison with the Tourist Board, but it should work well.'

Mr Rogers said plans for the redevelopment of Vauxlaurens would shortly be submitted to Environment. One plan is for a hotel and the other is for flats.