A family-run sheep farm in Wroxall has put forward plans to convert part of an agricultural barn into a microbrewery.
Accessed via Rew Lane, Great Span Farm is a second-generation, family-run sheep farm.
Despite their success over the last 25 years, the farm is not currently economically viable as just an agricultural enterprise, so, as a result, other revenues are being explored including creating a small craft brewery on site called ‘Littleloud’.
With 2 large barns on the complex with open fields to the north, apple orchard planting has already taken place in some fields, with over 1000 apple trees planted during the winters of 2021 and 2022.
In attempts to stay afloat and enhance the agricultural offer, it is hoped that apple juice, chutney and most notably cider could be created at the farm.
No major structural changes will take place at the farm, with the necessary equipment needed to offer a brewery set up to be housed in the barns already on site.
The brewing at the farm will take place one day a week following a standard beer brewing method. The actual process of brewing will be contained within the farm building and therefore noise and disturbance will be kept to a minimum. There will be 1 brewing session per week – if plans are approved.
It is suggested that the brewing business will employ at most, 2 people during business hours – which have been suggested as Monday to Friday 07:30 – 18:00, Saturdays 07:30 to 16:00 and closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Means of access to the brewery for staff and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) would be no issue either with ample room at the site for parking, loading and turning space. No goods will be sold from the site so there is no need for a larger customer car park.
In the planning documentation, the applicant has said:
“Unfortunately, the profit margins in traditional farming are now so low that going forward, the farm needs to be very creative to survive as a family run farm into the future.
“Growing new hop varieties beside traditional old English apple varieties gives us the opportunity to make interesting craft products that we hope are enjoyed far and wide and promote the Island.
“We have run the farm on low intensive principles of land management for over 25 years and we would maintain these principles by brewing quality beer and cider that has the least impact on the environment”
Anyone wishing to view the planning documents can do so on the Isle of Wight Councils planning page quoting reference 23/00764/FUL.
Diversity is a great way of keeping farms and Greenfield.
Good luck with your new venture.
Hope it works out for you.
I honestly hope they make a real success ,but for someone who has had to sit and try and get things through wroxall parish good luck , these old fools headed by the parish chairman are so out of date and one sided it’s laughable
Hope they succed ,good luck to them
What a great idea best of luck to you all
It sounds amazing. I wish them all the luck possible in their new venture.
It’s good to have a variety of beers on the island. I hope it gets the go ahead
You can never have too many beers
Except this is cider.
All the best what a great thing to do x
Sound like a great idea to me, hope it ends up a great success best of luck.