Private equity firm Risk Capital Partners has offloaded Curious Brewery and The Wild Beer Co to Suffolk-based outfit St Peter’s Brewery.
The news – first reported by industry news letter Propel – was confirmed by filings at Companies House. They show St Peter’s Brewery Group listed as “a person with significant control” at Curious Brewery on 29 September.
On the same date, several high-profile figures including Curious Brewing chairman Mark Crowther and Risk Capital’s Luke Johnson left their posts as directors of the Kent-based brewery.
Seven new directors have been appointed, including St Peter’s Brewery CEO Derek Jones, finance director Julie Hinsley and HR director Hayley Scorey.
Curious Brewery’s head office is now also listed as being in Bungay, Suffolk – at the same address as St Peter’s.
St Peter’s Brewery subsequently confirmed the acquisition to The Grocer.
“We can confirm that St Peter’s has acquired Curious Brewery Limited, which includes the Curious and Wild Beer brands,” Jones said. “This is an incredibly exciting new chapter for St Peter’s as the company builds a powerful portfolio of brands.
“It will have St Peter’s iconic bottles and multiple award-winning beers now sitting alongside extraordinary beers such as Curious Brew and Wild IPA, to name just a few of the great products in the Curious Brewery stable.”
The Grocer has also approached Risk Capital for comment.
Curious Brewery was acquired by Risk Capital in April 2021 after being put up for sale by its founder English winery Chapel Down.
That followed a substantial investment at its Ashford home, including the construction of a new brewery, visitor centre and bar and restaurant.
It also means a second change of ownership in the space of a year for The Wild Beer Co, which was bought by Curious in January after the Somerset-based brewer entered administration.
Curious did not acquire the brewing facilities of The Wild Beer Co and almost all its staff were made redundant after the business fell into financial difficulty.
St Peter’s Brewery was founded in 1996 by John Murphy. It was bought in 2021 by a group of private individuals for an undisclosed sum.
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