Tap room expansion plans for popular Rivington Brewery Company

Rivington Brewing Company was founded by Ben Stubbs and his brother-in-law Mike Richardson in 2014. They have run a tap room at its base in Home Farm, Horrobin Lane since 2019, and now want to expand the public area into an adjacent haylage store and stables.

>>>Click here to read about the tap room opening in 2019.

The tap room currently has seating for for 20 to 30 people, plus standing room for a further 20 to 30.

The changes would create additional internal seating for 40 to 50 people - the anticipated summer trade - and the conversion of stables to internal toilet facilities would include a fully accessible toilet for disabled customers and a baby changing area.

In a planning statement to Chorley Council, a spokesman for the brewery says: "By utilising the facilities that the farm offers, and making best use of the available buildings, is the perfect opportunity to developing a more sustainable and profitable business running alongside an ever more challenging agricultural economy."

They add: "Due to the impact of the pandemic, we have had to react and invest heavily. Improved direct sales through the taproom have allowed us an improved margin, and is enabling us to repay our financial borrowing quicker. We will look to employee two more temporary staff as part of the expansion, as this will allow us to host private and corporate events in the accommodation."

They say that on promotion weekend events and some Bank Holidays, street food-style external catering may be brought in, but it is not proposed for the tap room to offer for sale tea, coffee, cake and sandwiches, as these are already locally catered for at business premises.

The brewery says "minimal works" are required internally on the farm buildings, and there would be "minor" external works. These include partially building up the existing stable door to form a window, and completely replacing the barn doors with a window and door frame.

Deliveries vehicles will continue using the existing farm access road and hardstanding areas. There is an existing established main farm driveway access from Horrobin Lane, that facilitates the working farm, liveries, caravan and camping site and brewery with public bar.

Since the opening of the brewery bar, and in conjunction with the landlord United Utilities, an additional car parking area has been developed utilising part of an existing grazing field opposite to the caravan and camping site, and adjacent to the existing established livery parking area. This provides upto 15 parking spaces.