On the edge of Birmingham’s city centre lies Digbeth, a partially deserted industrial landscape of former Victorian factories, warehouses and tall railway arches. For the past few decades, it has been a handy place for artists and independent businesses to set up shop and take advantage of large spaces with low rents. Dig Brew Co, founded by 27-year-old Oliver Webb, recently joined this artistic hub, its craft brewery and taproom sitting proudly in a former gun factory on River Street.
Webb studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, part of University College London, and says sky-high prices in the capital gave him the idea to start running bars. “We’d be working until 10pm but couldn’t afford to go anywhere, as all the bars and clubs in London are so expensive. So I set up a bar in my studio space and started serving cocktails and cheap beer we bought from the supermarket,” he says.
Webb, like many other artists and independent businesses, has made the most of Digbeth’s large spaces and low rents
Webb used his artist’s woodworking and sculpture skills to create a collapsible “tiki bar” in his parents’ back garden in Wolverhampton. He shipped it to London and also started to brew his own beer. “We made our own beer from home-brew kits, as it was cheaper than buying from supermarkets. The bar was really popular and we just put out a donation box for people. But, eventually, the police shut us down for not having a licence.”
From that point on, the idea of running a pub was in Webb’s mind, and he began learning the art of brewing. Meanwhile, his lecturers were recommending that students visit the growing number of galleries and exhibitions happening in Digbeth. Webb left university and worked briefly for a log cabin company, while also selling tiki bars on the side. His father introduced him to Peter Towler, the owner of Mad O’Rourke’s World Famous Pie Factory. Towler decided to back the young entrepreneur, and Dig Brew Co took possession of its brewery space in March 2017.
Dig Brew Co’s lively drinking and event space; The brewery employs 20 staff and brews a selection of lagers, stouts and bitters; Dig Brew Co moved into its brewery space in March 2017
“I painted it all myself,” recalls Webb. “I rented a sprayer and covered the walls with £1,000 worth of white paint. I built the bar myself, too. We got mash tun, kettles and fermenters on hire purchase – I could never have done that without Peter.”
To make it easy for customers to pay, Webb brought in iZettle’s payment systems to enable card payments. “They are easy to use and so training staff is no problem. The machine connects to an app and that makes sense to our staff and customers,” he says.
The brewery, opened in October 2017, now employs 20 staff and brews a selection of lagers, stouts and bitters, including its double IPA Dagger Dagger and popular Hell lager. Webb hired a head brewer who now looks after the beer, while he focuses on running the business. However, Webb says it took a while to catch on. “When we opened, nothing much happened. We knew nothing about PR or promotions, so there weren’t many people coming in,” he says.
Dig Brew Co is now selling to other local restaurants, bars and events
But sometimes, when you’re struggling, helping others can be the answer. James Connolly, owner of Gorilla Coffee Cafe, became a customer and taproom regular when Webb helped him out of a tight spot. “Oli was in my cafe and he saw I was having trouble with a broken beer dispenser,” Connolly recounts. “He lent me one and so I ended up buying some beer from him. A lot of our customers are his target market. They want a sense of community, an experience, and they want it to be fun,” he says.
Other local businesses and arts venues liked the idea of buying beer brewed in Brum and Webb also started selling kegs to businesses such as the burger restaurant Original Patty Men. Webb’s arts background helped him make connections and see opportunities that other breweries would likely miss. One example was the decision to host the Infinite Opera company, which performed Besse, a production about beer, feminism and witchcraft. “It was a fitting venue as the early brewsters were all women,” says Kim McAleese, programme director at Grand Union, which houses the Infinite Opera. “There were over a hundred people here to see the Infinite Opera perform between the steel tanks in the brewery.”
To make it easy for customers to pay, Webb brought in iZettle’s payment systems to enable card payments; Webb now has a team of dedicated brewers; Bikes and barrels: a familiar sight at Dig Brew Co
Local festivals and event spaces have also been big buyers, with the Home of Metal Black Sabbath rock exhibition and gallery space Eastside Projects among its client list. But the big breakthrough for Dig Brew Co came when it beat Guinness to become sponsor for Birmingham’s St Patrick’s Day event and its Mayo stout was on offer to the thousands that attended.
“There were smiles all around the room when we made that decision,” says Peter Connolly, chairman of the St Patrick’s Day festival. “Most of the pubs in Digbeth are independently owned by Irish families and Dig Brew Co is all about community,” he adds.
Webb says he wants his business to be about far more than just making beer. The city of Birmingham has been through hard times, but he and others in the arts and creative sector seem determined for it to have brighter days. “There’s a real scene happening here and we are providing beer for a lot of those involved in it.”
To find out how iZettle helps small businesses like Dig Brew Co, visit izettle.com
