It’s ‘kippis’ (Finnish for ‘Cheers’) to Thornbridge Brewery of Bakewell – as the D2N2 grant recipient announces its intention to open a bar in Helsinki, Finland’s capital city.
Working with its Finnish importer, Brew Seeker Oy, and its mother company, Captol Invest Oy, Thornbridge is now looking for a site in central Helsinki, with the target of opening by the end of this year (2015).
Entrepreneur Mikki Nyman has been appointed as operational restaurateur for the project. He will run the bar with Captol Invest’s support, in line with their new MYBAR concept.
Jim Harrison, Founder and Managing Director of Thornbridge Brewery (pictured below), said: “We have been delighted at the great reception our beers have had in Finland and we have really enjoyed working alongside our partners there, to provide a wide range of our beers in top quality condition.
“The prospect of a bar in Helsinki, and working with Mikki and the team to make this a great Thornbridge experience is something that we are really looking forward to.”
Teemu Lehto, Chief Executive of Captol Invest group, added: “This is an exciting project working together with one of the most innovative and exciting breweries in the world.
“We believe the Finnish beer audience will be thrilled about having a totally new concept in Helsinki, which will surely also support the role of Finland and Helsinki as being among the front runners in the development of great craft beer offering.”
The proposed bar would be a modern approach to the classic British pub in its interior design and be in keeping with the brewery’s slogan of ‘Innovation, passion, knowledge’, said Mr Nyman.
The Helsinki announcement follows Thornbridge’s earliernews that it would also be opening a bar in the city of Den Bosch (also known as ‘s-Hertogenbosch), southern Holland, next month (September).
Last year (2014), Thornbridge Brewery received a £78,000 grant from D2N2’s Unlocking Investment for Growth (UI4G) programme, which is backed by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, to help it expand its premises; to increase production and employee numbers, with a view to going after new markets.
The Derbyshire craft brewery also exports to countries including America, Sweden, Italy, Japan and Australia.
For more information on Thornbridge Brewery see its website at www.thornbridgebrewery.co.uk/
To learn more about D2N2’s UI4G programme and read about the many businesses it has helped see the web link HERE
Media needing further information about the work of the D2N2 LEP can contact D2N2 Communications Officer Sean Kirby on 0115 9578749 or email: sean.kirby@d2n2lep.org
