Moon Gazer brewery in Hindringham, Norfolk, is marking its 2,000th brew while preparing to relocate to a site three times larger than its current location. The family-run business, founded in 2012, plans to convert barns into a brewery, shop, tap room, and events space. The move is supported by a rural grant from the UK government.
Moon Gazer, a microbrewery based in the Norfolk village of Hindringham near Fakenham, has produced more than five million pints since its founding in 2012 by Rachel and David Holliday. The husband-and-wife team is now advancing plans to relocate to a larger site on Harvest Lane, which will be three times the size of their existing premises. This expansion involves converting three barns into facilities for brewing, a retail shop, a tap room, and a small events space.
The brewery recently celebrated its 2,000th brew as part of this transition. David Holliday emphasized the business's modest ambitions, stating, "never to achieve global domination." He further explained, "For Rachel and me, it was always all about taking our fair share of Norfolk and East Anglia, earning the respect of customers and drinkers alike by bringing solid reliable beers that bring pleasure. We are so grateful of the support that we have received and are excited about the prospect of starting a new chapter, but also thrilled that we can do it within the village where our beer adventures all started."
The initial phase of the project includes relocating the cellar and storage space, made possible through the North Norfolk Rural Business & Communities Grant, which receives partial funding from the UK Government's Rural England Prosperity Fund. Redevelopment of the remaining site will proceed in stages over the next 12 months. Holliday highlighted the grant's value, noting, "It really is important to us at Team Moon Gazer to stay true to our rural roots and our North Norfolk base which has been so supportive of us since we started. Rural grants like this really do help make that possible for small businesses like ours and help us to improve productivity while at the same time strengthen the rural economy and rural communities."
The brewery's name draws from Norfolk hares, known locally as moon gazers, and its beer names reflect this hare connection, underscoring the business's ties to regional heritage.
