Inside the Craft of Goose Eye Brewery

AT A GLANCE

• Customer: Goose Eye Brewery 
• Industry: Brewery
• Product: M-Series Steam Boiler Skid Package
• Goal: Reliable steam solution for growing business

Goose Eye Brewery is a family owned independent brewery based in our home town of Keighley, West Yorkshire. Established in 1991 by friends Jack and Brian, the Brewery has gone from strength to strength over the years. We caught up with current owner Dave and his son, Head Brewer Joe, to learn more about their journey and their experience with Byworth Boilers. 

The growth of Goose Eye Brewery When Dave took over the operation he had a clear vision for where he wanted to take the business and started the search for bigger premises. The brewery had outgrown its current site in Ingrow and due to many years hard graft, the equipment had become tired. 

To satisfy the increase in demand a bigger unit and new equipment would help shape Dave’s dreams of business growth. When a local industrial unit became available after many years of searching, the team knew it was time to take action.

“I’d always wanted a brewery tap and as soon as I saw this place I could see how it would all work”.

To support their growing business plans and to meet the demand from regular stockists, and those of the new brewery tap the family needed to find a steam solution.

Enter the M-Series skid.

The skid mounted boiler package is ultra-compact, pre-assembled, and supplied with all the essential accessories needed to make a complete system. This meant that the equipment was delivered set up and ready to use, and it could remain tucked out of the way leaving plenty of space for the rest of the brewing process. 

Seven years in, how is it going? Some breweries have struggled financially in recent years with issues such as COVID, Brexit and the current financial crisis. You guys have remained strong, is this due to any specific actions you’ve taken to weather the storm?

Dave “We all lost out during COVID. It was bad for anyone in the industry that relies solely on pub sales (those that don’t sell in bottle or cans). We’ve always ensured we stick to what we do best and don’t try to take on too much or grow too big. We understand what we are capable of and focus on doing that well.”

Joe “We are also very lucky to have amazing and loyal customers. The pubs that buy from us return month on month, year on year and that’s important for a brewery of our size.”

How does the boiler and equipment cope with the sites steam demand? Does demand fluctuate or are you brewing fairly consistently?

Dave “The boiler is on most days as we aim to be consistent in our brewing volume, and the boiler is efficient in doing this well. Some months are busier that others in terms of demand, but keeping the brewing consistent ensures we can cope with the peaks and troughs in requirements, and ensures the efficiency of the equipment. We have to ensure that if our customers have a busy week and need more beer we can facilitate that need. A brewers worst nightmare is running out of beer. However, we also don’t want to brew too much and end up with more beer than we can sell.

You signed up to a long term service contract with our Service Department. Tell us about that decision.

Dave “When you consider the financial impact of boiler downtime against the cost of a service contract it’s a no brainer for us. No one knows the equipment better than the team at Byworth as you built it, so we know it will be well looked after. Any issues we’ve had, even with the burner, have been dealt with efficiently by the engineers so we are very happy with the level of service we receive.”

Tell us about your limited edition beers.

Joe “I like to give the customers something new to talk about and it keeps the regulars interested if they can take a limited edition alongside their usual brew. It keeps my head firmly in the brewing game as well coming up with exciting new flavours and combinations. It’s great to try news things but at the same time our current line up of beers are successful and offer something for all tastes. So these one off brews give us the opportunity to showcase something new on a regular basis without compromising our core beers.”

Why we love Goose Eye!

A fantastic local business focused on brewing great beer consistently. The breweries' taproom Brewery Tap is a warm and inviting space with a friendly atmosphere where everyone is made welcome. It’s the perfect place to sample Goose Eye’s latest brews, from the classic Chinook Blonde to the more adventurous Goose Eye Black Moor.

The Atkinson family are passionate about their craft and dedicated to creating beers that are both delicious and authentic and we are proud to be part of their journey. We look forward to our next visit to the Brewery Tap and seeing the latest developments and limited addition brews from the team.  

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