£3,750 customisable garden shed ‘brewery’ unveiled

Leeds-based Tiger Sheds has teamed up with local brewery Northern Monk to release a brewery shed which it claims can produce beer costing just 45p per pint.

Image: Tiger Sheds

Tiger Sheds has enlisted the help of Northern Monk Brew Co. to tap into the home-brew market with the launch of its brewery shed. Doubling up as both a brewery and a bar, Tiger Sheds believes its new product “is more than just a shed – it’s an investment”.

According to a recent survey published by Cask Marque in its Cask Report, beer drinkers spend an average of £770 on beer in the pub every year. The average spend increases when one takes into account beer preferences, with craft beer consumers spending £897 per year, lager drinkers shelling out an average of £981 and cask beer drinkers handing over £1,029.

The shed contains a Grainfather Connect brewing system as well a bar-style hatch, internal shelving, heavy duty solid framing and 16mm pressure treated boards.

The Grainfather can produce up to 40 pints of beer per batch and contains an adjustable steel grain basket capable of brewing between 4.5kg and 9kg of grain. It has a 30 litre capacity which produces 23 litres of beer per batch and comes complete with a heat and power control box, counter flow wort chiller and magnetic drive pump.

Image: Tiger Sheds

Tiger Sheds has estimated that the average cost of the ingredients comes in at £18 per batch, equating to just 45p per pint.

Earlier this year, the Good Pub Guide revealed that the average cost of a pint of beer in the UK had increased by 13p in the past year to £3.60.

The shed is fully customisable with potential buyers both able to choose their security and shelving option preferences, and paint the shed in their chosen colour. It has been constructed so that, as Tiger Sheds claims, “even the taller brewer amongst us can stand comfortably”.

The roof is covered with heavy-duty green mineral felt and the doors are secured with a three lever security lock.

Speaking to the drinks business, Tiger Sheds’ Kiarna Benson, said: “The idea came from a trip to Northern Monk for some team drinks after work. After sampling a few of the craft brews on offer, we started to think about whether or not we’d be able to brew something to the same standard at home.”

“Eventually, we all arrived at the same question – would it be possible to have a brewery in a shed? The following week back at work the thought had definitely stuck so we did some research”.

After finding a gap in the market, the company set about designing a purpose build brewery shed.

“We may be experts in sheds but know very little about brewing beer, so we needed to get some help in that area. As the idea came from a night at Northern Monk, there wasn’t really a more suitable place to partner with. They were equally excited about the project and happy to be on board,” added Benson.

To celebrate the launch, Tiger Sheds has set up a Facebook competition to win a free brewery shed with entrants required to comment on a post and to describe why they deserve one. The competition closes on 31 January 2018 and the lucky winner will be informed within seven days of the closing date. To find out more, please click here.

Jack Sutcliffe, web operations manager at Tiger Sheds said, “According to CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, the number of breweries in Britain has grown from just over 1,500 last year to more than 1,700 this year, displaying a growth of three new breweries a week. So that shows just how popular breweries are becoming.”

“We wanted to create something unique – a brewery bar that you can set up in your garden. In The Brewery Shed, with the Grainfather, you can create exceptional craft beer at home to rival any brewery.”

Russell Bisset, managing director of Northern Monk Brewery, added: “When we were approached by Tiger Sheds with an idea for The Brewery Shed, it’s fair to say our imaginations were sparked. The majority of us here at Northern Monk come from home brewing backgrounds and the idea of owning our own little brewery in our back garden would be a dream come true.”

Northern Monk Brew, the name inspired by the history of brewing in monasteries, is based in the Grade II listed Marshalls Mill in Holbeck and is best known for its Eternal session IPA.