More than 40 offers of sites for the planned new Brakspear's brewery have been received by Refresh UK, with "at least half" worthy of further investigation, according to Refresh's chief executive, Rupert Thompson.
Many of the offers have come from South Oxfordshire farmers keen to find alternative uses for some of their land and buildings.
Refresh has signed an agreement with Brakspear's to build a new brewery near Henley on Thames to replace the original Brakspear's brewery, which is due to close by November at the latest. The brewery will be branded with the Brakspear name, and will use as much of the current brewery's equipment as possible.
Refresh is offering free beer for a year to anyone who can help it find a site for the new brewery. Thompson, said two weeks ago: "We are looking to create a small specialist brewery, ideally with a visitor centre, bar and taste training rooms so that visitors can understand what a wonderful, natural and refreshing drink beer is."
The ideal site will be three quarters of an acre, out of town, on a main road, in South Oxfordshire and as near to Henley on Thames as possible, Thompson said. He said last week he would be meeting planning officials from South Oxfordshire District Council "to see where we go from here."
Insiders have dismissed fears that any proposed new brewery would run into planning problems, saying that planners are aware of the problems of rural unemployment even in somewhere like South Oxfordshire. The new brewery is likely to employ up to 10 people. Brakspear's four-strong field sales team will move over to Refresh UK.
Brakspear's decided to close its own brewery and concentrate on its 100-outlet pub estate after finding it was losing money on its brewing operations because, it claimed, of the high discounts demanded by large pub companies.
The closure was attacked by Roger Protz, editor of the Good Beer Guide. Speaking at the Great British Beer Festival in London, Protz called for government action to curb was he said was the excessive power of the pubcos.
Brakspear is said to want to close its brewery by October if possible, and the beginning of December at the latest. Brewing of its beers will be transferred to Thomas Hardy, which has breweries in Dorchester and Warrington, and which already makes several beers for Refresh under licence, until the new brewery opens.
Many of the offers have come from South Oxfordshire farmers keen to find alternative uses for some of their land and buildings.
Refresh has signed an agreement with Brakspear's to build a new brewery near Henley on Thames to replace the original Brakspear's brewery, which is due to close by November at the latest. The brewery will be branded with the Brakspear name, and will use as much of the current brewery's equipment as possible.
Refresh is offering free beer for a year to anyone who can help it find a site for the new brewery. Thompson, said two weeks ago: "We are looking to create a small specialist brewery, ideally with a visitor centre, bar and taste training rooms so that visitors can understand what a wonderful, natural and refreshing drink beer is."
The ideal site will be three quarters of an acre, out of town, on a main road, in South Oxfordshire and as near to Henley on Thames as possible, Thompson said. He said last week he would be meeting planning officials from South Oxfordshire District Council "to see where we go from here."
Insiders have dismissed fears that any proposed new brewery would run into planning problems, saying that planners are aware of the problems of rural unemployment even in somewhere like South Oxfordshire. The new brewery is likely to employ up to 10 people. Brakspear's four-strong field sales team will move over to Refresh UK.
Brakspear's decided to close its own brewery and concentrate on its 100-outlet pub estate after finding it was losing money on its brewing operations because, it claimed, of the high discounts demanded by large pub companies.
The closure was attacked by Roger Protz, editor of the Good Beer Guide. Speaking at the Great British Beer Festival in London, Protz called for government action to curb was he said was the excessive power of the pubcos.
Brakspear is said to want to close its brewery by October if possible, and the beginning of December at the latest. Brewing of its beers will be transferred to Thomas Hardy, which has breweries in Dorchester and Warrington, and which already makes several beers for Refresh under licence, until the new brewery opens.
