Leeds-based brewery Northern Monk has completed a rebrand of its range and released new gluten-free and low-alcohol beers after raising £1.5 million in 13 days through a crowdfunding campaign.
The brewer, which was founded in 2013, raised £1.5 million from 2,161 investors in a crowdfunding campaign in March last year. In collaboration with local brand agency Robot Food, Northern Monk has redesigned all of its core range cans as well as introducing new beers to its flagship offering, including a gluten-free IPA and a lower alcohol (2.8% ABV) IPA.
The gluten-free beer, called Origin, is a 5.7% ABV IPA described as “piney, juicy and crisp”. The 2.8% Striding Edge IPA initially started out as part of the brewer’s Patrons Project, a scheme whereby limited-edition beers are sent out to subscribers.
The money raised has also funded an overhaul of the brewer’s website in keeping with the brand’s redesign.
In the past year, Northern Monk has tripled its brewing capacity to reach 12,000hl and opened a new two-floor tap room in Manchester last September. It has also upgraded its canning and packaging apparatus to include a 12-fill head, 6,000 can-per-hour Monoblock rotary machine and a Ska Fabrication Can-i-bus depalletiser and conveyance system.
In a more unusual move, it commissioned an artwork in the form of an outdoor mural by street artists Nomad Clan and Tank Petrol which celebrates the area’s industrial heritage.
Founder of Northern Monk, Russell Bisset commented: “The intention of our crowdfunding campaign was always to refresh, expand and reach more people in new places. We needed every element of our brand to be representative of how far we’ve come since the beginning our journey and give our supporters something to get excited about.
“Robot Food understood our vision, we trusted them to amplify what we saw as important for our brand and the end result is something that we’re both really proud of.”
Rich Robinson, senior designer at Robot Food added: “Northern Monk is a pillar of not just our community, but of northern brewing. We wanted to better tell this story through each core range beer.
“The monk now acts as a constant beacon, symbolising the brand and the attitude of the brewery. A burst emanates from the monk as a visual expression of the flavour and character of each core beer.”
