Chapel Down launches brewery crowdfunding campaign

Chapel Down wines has launched a new Seedrs crowdfunding campaign to expand its craft beer and cider business, Curious Drinks, with a new brewery.

Chapel Down announced its second crowdfunding campaign this week.

Curious Drinks, founded by the winery in 2011, is crowdfunding for a new, much larger brewery in order to expand the venture. It currently brews four different beverages including a lager beer and a Kent cider.

Chapel Down will be hoping for a repeat of its 2014 crowdfunding campaign where they broke records and funded £2.9m in 10 days, eventually reaching £4m. This investment was used to expand their vineyards by a further 33 hectares.

Demand for craft beers and ciders has increased dramatically in recent years, with craft beer now taking up 10% of the US beer market and 2.5% of the UK beer market. In order to meet this new demand, the brewery will be considerably larger and located in the centre of Ashford for its good transport links. The brewery will also be open to the public.

Chapel Down owner Frazer Thompson told Decanter.com, ‘There is a lot of activity in the beer world and heightened levels of passion now. Much more like the wine world. I think there is a vacuum for great brands of beer that have a real point of difference and which are accessible and taste good.’

Chapel Down is one of many up-and-coming English wineries that has helped change the public opinion of English wine.

In exchange for investment, Curious Drinks is offering investors a multitude of perks including annual guided tours, limited edition glasses and, for investments over £25,000, the investor can have their name etched onto a fermentation tank.