Rewinding back to June 2015, John Mulgrew of the Belfast Telegraph wrote this article with the title
“First brewpub to open in Belfast - as Brewbot raises a glass to Northern Ireland's growing thirst for craft beers”
An exciting transition period for the marketplace, something new and unheard of in these parts. Located on the Ormeau Road, on one of Belfast’s most ‘unfortunate’ locations for a bar, due to the number of times it has been reincarnated. Brewbot had a simple aim of bringing people together over some beers.
From the get go, the bar had become a destination for the ‘craft beer enthusiast’, showcasing beers from all around the world, some of which the NI market had never had access to previously, or would ever have dreamt of being accessible.
Over the last two years we have seen Brewbot go through spells of growth, where it was arguably seen as the NI market leader with regards to ‘Craft Beer’ offering unique beer events and drawing worldwide attention to the NI scene.
For all its growth, there were signs of change within the business as a whole. With members of the team moving on and continuous questions about the product longevity, the rumour mill started turning. Regardless of these internal changes the bar carried on; adapting its offering to suit a wider variety of consumers, with such additions as the Cru Club upstairs and even showing live sports on occasion – which some seen as a measure to keep the business afloat.
Earlier today news broke that Galway Bay, one of Irelands leading breweries, will be taking over and adding the ‘brewpub’ to its established portfolio of bars; which dawns the question: what’s next for the bar?
Will we see our very own Beer Marketstyled bar?
Will there be the addition of Cask?
More beer lines?
Food?
Little is known at this stage, but one thing it does offer is the opportunity of reinstating a beer destination for Belfast.
For me, I welcome the news as a sign that we are progressing, irrespective of our views or experiences of the previous regime, this brings more to the scene with regards to potential new products/ranges entering the market, the increased availability of you know ‘Of Foam & Fury 'and potentially a new perspective entering into the market.
Lastly can we get an actual brewpub this time?
**As a matter of transparency, I was a former employee of Brewbot.**
