Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham Lager seeks new HQ as takeover sees demand soar

A brewery taken over by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney is already seeking a new base as it tries to keep pace with international demand.

It was announced last week that the Hollywood stars had purchased a majority stake in Wrexham Lager, which traces its history back to 1882.

The pair have achieved huge success with the city's football club, with manager Phil Parkinson taking Wrexham AFC to back-to-back promotions under their stewardship.

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Reynolds and McElhenney are now planning to take Wrexham Lager into new international markets after revealing that the beer will soon be available in the United States and Canada.

The news has created a large amount of interest in the company from overseas and its chief executive, James Wright, has confirmed it is looking to move to a new, larger premises in Wrexham city centre to boost production.

Speaking to Sky Australia, he said: “The fact that we've got these co-owners coming on board, with Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds and the Allyn family, enables us to really maximise exposure and our plan to export globally.

“I'm very fortunate to have met them, and it gives us a fantastic springboard to create awareness in certain parts of the market.

“We’re about to go live in North America - Canada and the US - and a lot more countries in Europe will be taking the brand on.

“The brewery is now increasing in capacity, and we've just put some more vessels in to help us with that.

“The (long-term) plan is to build a brand-new brewery that will hopefully open by the end of 2025 in the centre of Wrexham.”

The exact location of the new brewery has yet to be revealed, but local sources have claimed the former Jewson builders’ merchant site next to Wrexham General train station is being considered.

The disused land is located a short distance from the Racecourse Ground, with a bar and brewery tour also said to form part of the plans.

Wrexham Lager is currently based out of a unit on St George’s Crescent in the city centre, situated behind a chip shop.

As well as the links to Wrexham AFC and its owners, Mr Wright said highlighting the brewery’s history would play an important part in marketing the brand, including its connection to the Titanic.

He said: “In the US, they like the fact that Wrexham Lager used to be served on the Titanic and the history that goes back to 1882 ticks a certain box.

“There's also quite a lot of people who are into football or soccer, so that creates awareness.

“We have the Welcome to Wrexham TV series, which has over 162 million people viewing that programme, and that enables us to have awareness of the brand.

“That's going to help, but what's really important is that we need to make sure we have the right credentials and the right strategy to make sure we have a sustainable brand within any market we go to.”

The investment in Wrexham Lager was made by Red Dragon Ventures, a joint enterprise formed by Reynolds and McElhenney and the New York-based Allyn family.

It was announced on the same day as the former owners of medical device company Welch Allyn took a minority stake in the League One club.

Mr Wright said he had already met with Eric Allyn, the manager and chief investment officer of the Allyn’s family office, and his daughter Kaleen.

He said: “I was fortunate to meet them a couple of weeks ago. They're very keen to be hands-on and that’s fantastic.

“As I always say, we're not selling nuclear atoms, we're selling liquid in a bottle. It's about having fun and not making it complicated.

“This is about having an exciting journey and bringing the brand and the history to different markets.”