Duration Brewery near Swaffham announces plans for 2023

Duration Brewery in West Acre, near Swaffham, started fundraising through the website Crowdcube last May, aiming to raise £350,000 to fund a taproom and improve the site's water treatment plant.

Since then, the business has brought in 600 new investors and generated £400,000.

Brewery founders Derek Bates and Miranda Hudson say they will use the money for the expansion of the site's water treatment plant, and to renovate the south-end gable of its historic stone barn.

The water treatment plant work started in December and is set to be completed by the end of January. 

The development cleans both the brewery’s inbound water to brew with as well as cleaning all the outbound water.

Since opening the brewery in late 2019, Duration has doubled its output each year to meet demand.

With each cellar expansion comes the need to increase water treatment capacity.

When the brewery opened, the brewhouse occupied 75% of the site's vast 16th-century barn. The remaining 25% was left unrenovated and earmarked for future development.

Having seen huge success with its 'tap days' in the taproom in the barrel store in April 2021, the brewery team decided to build a 120-cover bar and restaurant in the south gable end of its stone barn.

Duration Brewing is based in a 16th Century stone barn at West Acre near Kings Lynn (Image: Duration Brewing)

Ms Hudson, who is also managing director, said: “Being at a scheduled monument and part of an SSSI (a Site of Special Scientific Interest) we can't hurry things here with many stakeholders from heritage to archaeology to consult with.

“We will spend 2023 finalising the plans that include a huge glazed vista out to the magnificent priory ruins and barley fields that surround us, a full kitchen and huge beer bar, and hope to put spades in the ground at the start of 2024 to bring the taproom online by summer 2024.” 

Until the taproom is built, Duration is forging ahead with its tap days, and will reopen its courtyard in April.