Dudley brewery near completion in £200k growth

Construction of the three-storey extension at Holden's Brewery, in Woodsetton, started in October 2012 allowing production to increase from 50,000 pints to 75,000 pints per week.

Bosses at the famous brewery today said the finishing touches were now being made to the building, which has been fitted with new storage tanks and vats, and should be finished by the end of November.

This is around a month earlier than their revised estimate.

Bosses originally planned for the work to be completed in March but there were delays after plans were changed from a two-storey to a three-storey development.

Managing director of the firm Jonothan Holden said the good weather over the summer months had helped work on the extension progress more quickly. "There is now a roof on the building, the windows have been installed and the doors have been fitted," he said.

"The vats and fermentation vessels have also been installed so the extension is pretty much complete now with only a few finishing touches to be made.

"We aim for the increase in beer production to start at the end of November. This is around a month ahead of where we expected to be.

"Obviously this has been a long-running project but we are very pleased with the results and it will aid further expansion of the business. We are very impressed with what has been achieved in terms of the building.

"The firm was given permission to build a three-storey extension at its premises in George Street in July 2012.

Bosses decided on the extension following a rise in demand for ale. The brewery's expansion plans include exporting one beer, the Golden Special, to Japan.

Further building work is expected to take place at the site over the coming years with plans in the pipeline for a new visitors' centre and brewery tours. The firm is one of the oldest in the area and was founded in 1915.

Other developments that have been completed include a new bottle store, which is open for visitors to buy beers.