Новый директор GBDC назвал пивоварню Purity уникальной и объявил о планах по её восстановлению

New managing director of GBDC Dom Metcalfe on ‘special’ south Warwickshire brewery Purity There’s something “very special” about Purity Brewing Company. This is according to Dom Metcalfe, the new managing director of the Great British Drinks Company (GBDC) which has owned the brewery since the start of the year. The brewery, located near Alcester, is one of eight under the umbrella of the GBDC. Appointed last month in the position at GBDC, Dom said Purity is like no brewery he has ever visited during his 22 years in the industry. In his career so far, Dom has worked for a number of breweries including Adnams, Timothy Taylor’s, Black Isle, Thornbridge and, most recently, as managing director at Buxton Brewery for two and a half years. “My remit is to find a way of turning the fortunes of the breweries and brands around and making them profitable again,” Dom told the Herald. “Nobody goes into brewing nowadays to try to make a fortune. “Our ambition is to breathe love and passion back into our breweries and brands and find a way to be successful again.” Purity is coming out of a turbulent few years. In December 2022 the then independent brewery went into administration but was immediately bought by investment company Breal Capital. At the end of 2025 it was announced that Keystone Brewing Group, which Purity was a part of at the time, had called in the administrators while looking for a potential sale. In January 2026, the newly formed GBDC bought Purity and the other Keystone brands. Dom said given that it’s 200 miles south of the GBDC head office in North Yorkshire, Purity is an outlier for them, but despite this there’s “a special feeling you get when you’re there.” “It’s like no other brewery I’ve been to in 22 years, and I’ve been to a lot of them. “There is something very serene about standing at Purity Brewery in the farm, listening to the farm animals that a lot of the beers are named after, and feeling that things are just done a little bit differently. “That passion is what we’ve got to really convey to our customers.” With Purity, Dom said, the key is not to stretch too thin too early in the ownership. “We want to focus on our heartland in Warwickshire, which is about a 30-mile radius from the brewery. “With time, we will rebuild the brand to be something that, yes, it could be seen on supermarket shelves across the country, but for the time being, it’s about focusing on the local community.” Purity’s focus on its green credentials is also another highlight of the business, with wetlands located behind the brewery where waste water is filtered and then returned to local rivers and waterways. “There’s not many breweries that can make that kind of claim,” Dom said. Brewing, like the hospitality sector, is feeling the economic pressures from the cost of living crisis, and rising costs. “It’s a tough industry, make no mistake about it,” Dom said. “I’ve seen a lot of brands, breweries and restaurants as well as pubs and bars fall by the wayside in the last few years and it’s not getting any easier. “When you’ve got the pressures of VAT being at 20 per cent, minimum wage and national insurance [increases], amongst others, this red tape is all stacked against hospitality, unfortunately. “It’s very much the strong will survive. “Obviously, being a vertically integrated business, we can brew beer and have a retail offering. This includes a bar in central Birmingham called Pure Craft and others associated with other brands within the portfolio.” Whilst breweries under the GBDC umbrella are in a fortunate position where they can produce and supply their beer, Dom said it’s still incredibly difficult to make a profit. “There will be opportunities for us to sell beer, but the question is, can we drive down the overheads in the middle part in order to spin a profit out the bottom? “For me, what I need to really focus on is profitable business. This is about keeping people in jobs, being responsible, but being sustainable at the same time and making sure that we can grow organically and profitably. It’s my remit as a managing director to make sure that can happen. “It’s key for us to highlight Purity because I think it's been through the wringer in terms of perception, both locally and nationally, with the administrations. “But there is something very special about it, both in terms of what it does to be eco-friendly and the quality, the branding and the stories behind every single beer. “These really resonate with people and that’s the message we’ve got to convey.”