Mon 26th Oct 2015 - Meantime to vacate Old Brewery restaurant and micro-brewery Meantime to vacate Old Brewery restaurant and micro-brewery: Meantime Brewing Company, which is now owned by SABMiller, is to vacate The Old Brewery restaurant and micro-brewery in the Greenwich Old Naval College to bring its innovation-focused brewing to its main brewery site. Meantime plans to use the resources the move makes to improve the consumer experience at their other retail sites, including The Tasting Rooms which opened earlier in 2015 and will host upwards of 20,000 people on brewery tours this year. Meantime will continue to focus on their other retail outlets, including The Union pub in the heart of Greenwich, and its Beer Box concept at The O2, which reflect the brand’s values and personality. The brewer will also build on its presence at festivals, pop ups and other events to engage with consumers in London and across the UK. Meantime is installing a new pilot brewery at the main brewery site which will lead the business’ innovation agenda – replacing the smaller micro-brewery at The Old Royal Naval College. The investment will see Meantime able to create a minimum of 26 brand new small-batch beers per year under the leadership of brewmaster Alastair Hook, who will oversee the brand’s innovation programme. Nick Miller, chief executive of Meantime Brewing Company, said: “Since 2010, The Old Brewery restaurant has been a successful business and a great platform for us to engage with our followers and share great beer. However, it’s time to move on and for us to refocus our future retail plans. The restaurant has fantastic history and heritage and will always have a special place in the Meantime story, but at the same time we want to explore opportunities where our beer is the star of the show. We’ve made a strategic decision to move our innovation hub to our main brewery site. The new pilot brewery is set to be up and running at the end of November, replacing the micro-brewery that was housed at The Old Brewery. Bringing all our brewing under one roof at the main brewery has long been part of the plan – ensuring that our team have the best environment, technology and brewing capabilities with which to innovate, whilst continuing to work on our core range at the same time.” The Old Brewery will soon be on the market and Meantime will work together with The Old Royal Naval College to find a suitable buyer.