A new concept in the Chatham-Kent craft brewing industry is taking shape outside Blenheim.
Red Barn Brewery broke ground Tuesday morning at the corner of Middle Line and Lagoon Rd.
Denny Vervaet, his wife Sandy, and her brother Dan English are trying to create the first farm brewery in Chatham-Kent.
“Today is day one of many day ones,” Vervaet says. “Rumble Water Wells are in, we just found out we hit water, so that’s a promising thing being that that’s 95% of our product.”
Vervaet says it’s all about farming and family.
“I think it was a little bit shocking we said we wanted to put a brewery here. Our neighbours across the road will be taking our spent grain, bringing the tractor over and take it away and feed it to the cows, so that’s where we have the opportunity to do some events on the property, agri-tourism, meet new people that haven’t experience the farm before.”
Vervaet says the brewing tanks should be arriving in August, and it could take another year before the building is up and the doors can open.
Mayor Darrin Canniff was also on hand for Tuesday’s ceremony.