Beer producer West to open second Glasgow brewery

Petra Wetzel, founder of Glasgow-based brewer West

An artisan brewer that creates all of its products in accordance with an ancient German purity law is to build a second brewery to expand its production of lagers and wheat beers in Scotland.

Glasgow-based West, which is headed by German entrepreneur Petra Wetzel, is to create the facility on the site of its existing brewery at the Templeton Building on Glasgow Green.

The new brewery, funded by a working capital facility and loan from RBS Invoice Finance and Royal Bank of Scotland, will create three jobs.

West is the only UK brewery to produce all of its lagers and wheat beers in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, the German “purity law”.

Wetzel, who has lived in Glasgow for 22 years, said: “Our quest for truly great Scottish beer started in 2006. Ever since then, we have been brewing the finest artisan lagers and wheat beers in the UK. We brew all our beers in strict accordance with the German Purity Law of 1516, which we believe is simply the best way to make great beer.

“The new brewery is a very exciting step for us and will allow us to increase our output significantly to cope with demand of our premium lagers and wheat beers from across the UK and internationally.”

Trisha Ronney, commercial relationship Manager at RBS Invoice Finance, said: “Petra is highly experienced, having worked in this sector for a number of years and is very passionate. She is committed to producing the highest quality Scottish lagers and wheat beers.”

She added: “Her German roots really do come through strongly with her commitment to producing artisan products under the German Purity Law and we wish West Brewery every success with this exciting phase of their development.”

The business also runs a beer hall and restaurant at the Templeton Building site and earlier this year opened a second venue called West on the Corner in the West End of Glasgow.