Scandinavia to brew Northampton beer recipes as local brewery expands

Phipps receive their new tank with room for 120 firkins - or 8,500 - pints of beer.

Northampton-based brewers Phipps were expanding their beer production and had to sell their old brewing kit to make room for a new, bigger tank.

And the old barrel has been sold to a brewery in Bakke, Norway, along with select Northampton recipes, to help meet the demand for English beers in the region.,

As part of the plans, a new tank has been installed at the Phipps brewery in Kingswell Street, off Bridge Street, with room for 120 firkins - or 8,500 pints - of beer.

To fit the tank into their headquarters, Phipps had to remove a window.

The tank is now the second-largest beer-brewing vessel in the county, behind Carlsberg's Bridge Street brewery.

Phipps had to remove an 8ft-square window and fit the tank in sideways to get into it the building.

Alaric Neville, managing director for Phipps, said: "It's been two-and-a-half years since we moved back to Northampton and we recently brewed our millionth pint.

"While the beer market can be sometimes sluggish, Phipps is doing very well and we just can't produce it fast enough. Twice in the past six months, we've run out of our IPA as orders come in.

The new tank is the biggest in the county outside of the Carlsberg brewery.

"We've really taken root in Northampton and now it seems like the right year to expand.

"I want to say thank you to all our customers and hope we can continue brewing interesting beers for you."

Phipps will be showing off its brews at the Northampton County Beer Festival, which this year will be celebrating 200 years of commercial brewing in the town. It's founder, Pickering Phipps, opened his brewery in Bridge Street in 1817.

The County Beer Festival will be at Beckets Park from June 2 - 4.