Irish Entrepreneur

Brewing the Business

Not Ironically, Anthony Davis and Robert Little were sitting in a bar when they came up with the idea of brewing beer.  Earlier, while talking to the curator of St. Patrick’s Centre in Downpatrick, it was realised that tourists were scarce in that area, even though St. Patrick was buried there and it boasted his first church. The curator developed this idea of promoting the area and its environs as St. Patrick’s country.  Davis and little subsequently agreed that it was a good idea if they came up with some beers for St. Patrick’s country.

Strangford Lough Brewing Company was established.  The unusual thing is the company doesn’t have a brewery.  The pair, whose backgrounds were in management consulting, visited over 20 breweries and came to a conclusion to build a brand before building a brewery due to overcapacity in the market.  At the moment, the company partners with a number of breweries globally.  Says Little, “What this means is because we don’t have a brewery sitting here that we have to keep filled, we can now brew in the US while the dollar is very strong, and vice versa.  Our options are open and this gives us a big edge.”  However, they do intend to build a brewery in the near future in Killyleagh.

The duo says the hardest challenge they faced was sustaining focus.  As the company moved along, all sorts of opportunities have popped up and sometimes Davis and Little found it distractive.  “The second challenge was funding, but we got along with the help of some loans.  Also invest Northern Ireland have been absolutely brilliant not with just financial support, but also with their advise.”

In all this, the beer has not been ignored.  The company works with established creators of recipes and people who really know how to brew.  Adds Little, “We’re not a one horse wonder.  We have beers for different tastes and so whatever you drink, be it larger or ale, you won’t need to change the brand.”

Davis and Little love their jobs.  “If we weren’t having fun, we wouldn’t do it.  This is a fun project and we’ve gone into true style of Irish business, which is family and friends … and beer,” they hastily add.

What a great combination!