Quantock Brewery has expanded its Bishops Lydeard premises and invested in its cans to keep beer flowing as lockdown restrictions ease.

Due to growing demand to boost its production capability, the award-winning micro-brewery has expanded by taking on the unit next door, adding 3,000 square footage to its site – and the capacity to produce about 2,000 cans an hour.

Quantock Brewery was born out of the love of brewing by head brewer and co-founder Rob Rainey. Rob, a former nuclear engineer, purchased his first home brew kit but it did not produce the quality of beer he wanted – so he built his own kit from scratch.

In 2015, Quantock Brewery moved to a larger facility in Bishops Lydeard. The move enabled increased production, the opening of a brewery shop and, in 2016, a taproom hosting regular events, live music, comedy nights and popular beer festival. Currently the taproom is closed but the shop is open in line with guidance.

Quantock Brewery is a CAMRA and SIBA assured microbrewery. Investing in the UK manufactured canning gives the team greater flexibility to bring to market new beers and keep up with demand for its already popular craft can core range.

Cheryl Ford, co-founder and managing director, said: “When we started brewing in 2007 craft beer in a can wasn’t something that people really considered. But craft brewers have led the way in using canning technology to showcase their creativity and chemistry skills.

“We’ve seen a significant shift in how people buy their beer and our own canning line gives us even more control in our processes. “Cans are lighter, designed to stack, easier to transport, 100 per cent recyclable and our customers appreciate that cans chill more quickly so they can reach for their favourite brews when the mood takes them.

“Our inventive and skilled brew crew can’t wait to see our passionately crafted beer roll off our very own canning line.”

Quantock Brewery creates a classic range of ales and modern range of craft, hop-led style beers, including its popular QPA and Titanium.

The ‘Past, Present and Future’ series features small batch brews inspired by Quantock Brewery’s heritage and showcasing its brewing team’s skills to deliver contemporary small batch beers.