A Nanaimo micro-brewery’s plans to open its doors late this summer have been put on ice after thieves made way with some valuable brewing equipment.
Cliffside Brewing Company co-owner Jack Eubank said he and his son arrived at the brewery’s future home at 11 Cliff St. on May 2 to find they had been broken into overnight.
In addition to some day-to-day power tools, the thieves made off with a small brewing machine valued at $6,500, marking a huge loss for the burgeoning company.
WATCH: (Aired March 5) Long-time East Vancouver brewery forced out
“We use this machine to brew and test new recipes,” Eubank told Global News Thursday. “Without that, we can’t develop our beer list ahead of our opening.”
Cliffside is in the middle of renovating its space in anticipation of opening “within three to four months,” Eubank said. The space is set to include a lounge and patio along with a manufacturing area.
A public hearing last week “went very well,” he added, and the company is now waiting for licensing approvals from the Liquor and Cannabis Distribution Branch and the city.
But the loss of the brewing equipment has Eubank wondering whether they’ll be ready for opening day.
“We have our big tanks arriving in a couple of weeks, but when you’re developing beer you don’t want to be doing it in a five-barrel tank,” he said. “This has set us back quite a bit.”
RCMP said Thursday they are investigating the robbery. They said some of the power tools were recovered in downtown Nanaimo but the brewing machine is still missing, along with the company’s video surveillance system.
Eubanks said he’s hopeful the machine turns up soon, especially because it’s largely useless without some other parts the thieves left behind.
“Unless you really know what you’re doing, or have those parts and tools yourself, there’s no reason to have it,” he said.
The owners of Cliffside’s future neighbours, White Sail Brewing, are being supportive, Eubanks said.
“They’re pretty upset that this has happened, and I think they want us to open just as much as we do,” he said.
Anyone with information that can lead to the recovery of the equipment is asked to contact Nanaimo RCMP or Crimestoppers.
Comments