A NORTH-EAST brewer has appointed a new chairman to help lead its ambitious growth plans.

Experienced corporate financier Tim Cottier has joined Jarrow Brewery led by Jess McConnell who founded the business ten years ago.

Jarrow Brewery makes 12,000 barrels of cask and keg ale a year and distributes through outlets across the North-East, Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lincolnshire. The company is poised to expand further following a recent move into a £500,000 brewery on Bede Industrial Estate in Jarrow.

“We have grown into one of the North’s leading real ale breweries and, in order to take a serious step up in scale, we realised we needed to strengthen our board and take a strategic look at acquisition and diversification in order to reach the next stage in our development,” said Mr McConnell.

“Tim has a great track record in helping firms expand and maximise their potential as well as being very well connected through his London and Yorkshire corporate finance firm, and it’s great to have him at the helm,” he added.

Mr Cottier, based in Harrogate, will be leading the firm’s strategy for expansion and acquisitions.

He said: “Jess and his team have built a real gem of a business that has grown as far as it currently could. Jarrow Brewery now wants to take a big leap forward on the back of its great products, recipes and intellectual property around some award-winning ales.

“I am excited to see how far we can take this business over the coming years, and we are already in advanced acquisition discussions with several smaller craft breweries in the North as well as securing additional distribution channels for our ales."