Welsh craft brewery ceases trading after six years

Mad Dog Brewing Co., based near Pontypool in South Wales, is to enter voluntary liquidation after a “very challenging” few months.

The brewery, which started life in a small residential kitchen, later grew to occupy an industrial unit in Penperlleni with a 12 bbl brewery.

Founder and managing director Alexis Jones wrote on social media this week that the past few months had been “very challenging” both for the business and himself.

The statement continued: “Over the past six years Mad Dog has produced some amazing beers with all of these being vegan, and most recently our core range being gluten free.

“It comes with a heavy heart that the decision has been made to close the brewery. The brewery ceased to trade as of close of business on 21 February 2020.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to everybody who has supported us and drunk our beers over the past six years.”

The brewer has appointed insolvency firm Leonard Curtis as its administrators. Interested parties should contact the businesses via 02921 921 660; by post at Sophia House, 28 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9LJ; or by email to siann.huntley@leonardcurtis.co.uk

Launched in 2014, the brewery opened its first pub being called the Dog House in Caerleon in 2018.

However, the brewery struggled financially and Jones wrote on the company blog that he’d been close to closing the business in 2018. However he was later able to secure a £40,000 investment from the Mad Dog’s finance director Lee Dunning.

Jones started by brewing four core beers called Afternoon Sunshine, Bark Like A Bird, Dirty Dog and Now In A Minute. The current range includes Bohemian Hipster Pale Ale (4.9% ABV); Third Eye Blind New Zealand / American pale ale (3.8% ABV); Stouty McStout Face (4.5% ABV); Marmalade IPA (4.5% ABV); and Now In A Minute Welsh Red Ale (4.2% ABV).

He told Wales Online that it had been a “personal as well as business decision”.

Jones, who hopes to find another role in the drinks industry, said that The Dog House pub would continue trading as normal.

It follows news of the creation of the first ever Welsh Beer Week, which will launch across the country on from Sunday 8 March to Saturday 14 March.

Organisers hope to have over 1,000 beer and ale pumps displaying the Welsh Beer Week brand during the event.