Craft beer maker sets up in Octagon premises

A PLYMOUTH craft beer operation which started in a garden shed is close to opening its new brewery and tap room after a huge expansion. Bulletproof Brewing famously began in its founder's mum's back garden in 2017.

- By WILLIAM TELFORD

But it has become such a hit it is about to relaunch in what was once Plymouth's famous Octagon Brewery, in Millbay something Bulletproof founder Paddy Lawrence says has always been his dream.

He's installed a specially made brewing kit at the Sawrey Street premises, empty since dance company Street Factory left more than two years ago.

He's aiming to be producing lager, pale ale and IPA by Christmas. But he wants to open the tap room sooner, in the next few weeks, and said: “We will be selling guest beers until we get everything up and running.”

He's planning on bringing in a Japanese food enterprise that operated in Bulletproof's former Mutley Plain tap haus too. And he's got big plans to install a kitchen, and knock in a roof to make a beer garden.

Bulletproof Brewing was Britain's smallest brewery when it began production in the shed more than eight years ago. It then started trading from a converted horse box.