New beer to raise funds for Madeira Terrace revamp

Brighton Bier said its new beer ‘Mabiera’ will also give a boost to the company’s expansion plans, creating new jobs and training opportunities.

The campaign to restore the crumbling Madeira Terraces raised more than £464,000 at the end of last year, which will go towards restoring three of the 151 historic arches to their former glory.

The council-led campaign is part of a wider plan to regenerate the area to the east of the Palace Pier.

Launching the new beer, Brighton Bier founder Gary Sillence said: “We would love to one day be brewing Brighton Bier on Brighton beach as part of a restored and revitalised Madeira Terrace seafront area, and realised we could help immediately by brewing a beer specifically for the restoration campaign.”

It’s estimated that around £20 million is needed to bring the Terraces back to life, so further fundraising is needed, alongside bids for grants and private investment.

Brighton Bier said 25 per cent of the profits from the sale of the 4% ABV pale ale will be donated to the Madeira Terrace Restoration Fund, giving the project a boost.

The beer will launch in keg and can on Friday, February 2 at the Brighton Bierhaus on Edward Street, and will be available in outlets across the city.

Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council Warren Morgan said: “The crowdfunding campaign demonstrated an overwhelming level of public support for the restoration of Madeira Terrace but it’s essential we keep that momentum up.

“This latest idea will help to keep the ongoing campaign in the public eye and is a great example of how businesses can get involved. Buying Mabiera not only supports the campaign but puts money back into the local economy by supporting local businesses and local jobs so it’s a win-win all round; I look forward to trying a pint soon!”

As well as fundraising for the Terraces, Brighton Bier said it hopes the new product will give a boost to its expansion plans.

It said its existing brewery is ‘at full capacity’, and the company is now looking for a site that would increase brewing capacity 400 per cent to approximately 1,000,000 litres per year .

It said the new brewery would include a destination bar/restaurant, outdoor beer garden, visitor centre and shop, alongside state of the art brewing and packaging facilities.

It would create 20 new jobs, training opportunities and apprenticeships for local people, Brighton Bier said.

Stephen Whitehurst, Brighton Bier director, said: “We want to secure a location that will take Brighton Bier and brewing in our city to a new level, building an iconic brewery that will stand the test of time. This year is about finding the right location in Brighton and the right investment to move forward.”

Established in 2011, Brighton Bier originally brewed in the Hand in Hand pub in Kemp Town before moving to its own brewery less than a mile down the road in 2014.

“When we started Brighton Bier there were very few genuine freehouses in Brighton and we were the only brewery. Fast forward to 2018 and interest in craft beer in the city has exploded, but still very little of the beer being drunk in Brighton is actually brewed in the city,” said Mr Whitehurst.