Brewers Quay facts for kids

Brewers Quay is a historic building in Weymouth, Dorset, in southern England. It was once a large Victorian brewery. Today, it stands on Hope Square near the Old Harbour.

The main parts of the building were built in 1903–04. It was known as the Hope Brewery for John Groves & Sons Ltd. Later, Devenish Brewery took it over in 1960. In 1990, it reopened as a fun indoor shopping center. It had about twenty unique shops, plus exhibits about history and science.

Brewers Quay closed in 2010. From 2013 to 2017, it was an antiques market. The building is currently being redeveloped. It has been a Grade II listed building since 1974. Hope Square, where it is located, has many cafes and restaurants. Nearby, you can find the Tudor House Museum and Nothe Fort with its beautiful gardens.

From Beer to Fun: Brewers Quay's Big Change

The Courtyard Restaurant of Brewers Quay.

People have been brewing beer in Hope Square for a very long time. Records show brewing happened there as early as 1252! The area was perfect because it had fresh spring water and fields for growing barley.

By the 1700s, there were three different breweries in the area. Over time, these breweries were bought by others. In 1960, Groves Brewery, which owned Brewers Quay, was sold to Devenish. Devenish Brewery continued to make beer at Brewers Quay until 1985.

After the brewery closed, Devenish and the local council had a big idea. They wanted to turn the empty building into a shopping center. It would also have a pub and a restaurant. Devenish spent £4.5 million to fix up the building.

The new complex opened in June 1990. People called it "the Covent Garden of Dorset." It was a huge success! Brewers Quay won many awards. These included the Come to Britain Trophy and a Civic Society award.

Many people visited Brewers Quay. In 1990, 100,000 people came. By 2010, that number grew to 750,000 visitors! The building also had the amazing Timewalk exhibition and Weymouth Museum. In 1992, a hands-on science center called Discovery opened there too.

New Plans and Changes (1990s-2012)

The Shopping Village of Brewers Quay.

Brewers Quay seen in 1987 when it was the Devenish Brewery.

Even though the shopping center was popular, Devenish Brewery started losing money. So, they sold the building in the mid-1990s. Over the next few years, Brewers Quay had several different owners.

The building needed a lot of repairs, but not much money was spent on it. The local council also did not want homes built there. Because of these problems, Brewers Quay became hard to sell. One owner, Punch Taverns, tried to create a plan called Brewery Quarter in 2008. They wanted to build a fancy hotel, but they couldn't find anyone to help.

In 2010, a local group called Brewers Quay Investment LLP bought the site. Brewers Quay closed at the end of 2010. The new owners planned to turn it into a hotel with 85 rooms. They also wanted luxury apartments, a museum, shops, and a restaurant. This project was expected to cost £15 million. It was hoped to be ready for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

However, the plans did not work out. The costs were much higher than expected. Also, not many businesses were interested in renting the shop spaces.

In 2012, the owners decided to make some money from the building. They rented space for a bar and restaurant called Salt Pop Up Bar & Kitchen. It opened just in time for the Olympics. Later in 2012, an art gallery also opened in the building. It stayed there until early 2013.

Antiques and New Ideas (2013-2017)

In March 2013, Brewers Quay reopened. It became mainly an antiques market. About 50 different traders sold their items there. Space was also made for Weymouth Museum and a new D-Day Museum. An Italian restaurant, Il Porto, also opened. This brought in money for the lower floors, but the upper floors remained empty.

In 2015, the owners made new plans for the building. They wanted to include 35 homes, shops, Weymouth Museum, and a space for exhibitions and cultural events. These plans were approved in November 2016.

However, in late 2016, the building was sold again. Versant Developments & Homes bought it. They announced similar plans for redevelopment. The antiques market closed in July 2017.

Brewers Quay Today (2018-)

Work on redeveloping Brewers Quay started in 2024. The project is expected to be finished in 2026.

See also

• List of breweries in England