Ei Commercial Properties, the Ei Group business which manages a developing portfolio of assets leased to third parties, has signed an agreement with fast-growing London craft brewer Hammerton Brewery.
Ei Commercial Properties has agreed a commercial free-of-tie lease with the microbrewery for the former Wig & Gown pub, located on Holloway Road in the heart of Islington, north London. The site, close to the Emirates stadium, home of Arsenal FC, will be Hammerton's first pub and will reopen in early summer following an extensive refurbishment.
Hammerton Brewery is based in Islington brewing small batch beers with the aim to bring great tasting beer back to the borough and re-establish the Hammerton name in the capital. Originally founded in London in 1868, it ceased brewing in the late 1950s with the brewery later demolished.
In 2014, a member of the Hammerton family decided to resurrect the family business with its beers today based both on modern and traditional brewing techniques, influenced not just by English beers but the great brews found across the globe. Its beers include Islington Steam Lager, N7 IPA and Pentonville Oyster Stout.
Richard Broadribb, Commercial Property Director at Ei Commercial Properties, said, 'We are delighted to have signed this commercial free-of-tie agreement with Hammerton Brewery. They have exciting plans for the site and we are very pleased to be able to support a thriving and popular local business.
'We are continuing to build a high-quality commercial property portfolio, the vast majority of which trade as pubs on a free-of-tie basis. Our aim is to maximise the value of Ei Group assets using our commercial property expertise and, through our flexible agreements, look forward to partnering with a further number of exciting operators in the future.'
Lee Hammerton, founder of Hammerton Brewery, added, 'We have been looking for a small local site for a number of months. Our regular taproom openings at the brewery have served as a great window for us to receive feedback from our customers on what they think about our beers.
'We have been asked many times about opening up our taproom more often but we have limited space at the brewery site and the open days affect production. So we are very pleased and excited to receive the keys to our first pub, especially as it is located so close to our brewery.
'We look forward to showcasing our beers and testing out some of our experimental brews, as well as offering a few other great beers from breweries we know and like.'