since opening in 2015. By the numbers, that means that they went from two fermenting tanks to a current total of five (of varying larger sizes.) And they have two more being deliv- ered at the end of this year. That’s 500 hectolitres/year in 2015 to upwards of 3,500 hectolitres/year once the new tanks are up and running. One thing that comes through loud and clear when speaking with Sharratt is that community is very important to the company. And surprisingly, the home-spun touch is what resonates best with the small community. “The events that really made us a spot for the community to get together were the ones we created ourselves. So once every three months we host our own events that are becoming annual staples in the area.” These include a talent show, a “Spring-toberfest,” and an annual “charity beer” day. For the latter, Gladstone partners with local charity “YANA,” an acronym meaning “You Are Not Alone.” The charity focuses on the families of sick children who need treatment at larger-city facilities, and assists these families in dealing with the financial strains of travel and lodging during their child’s treatment. Interestingly, Gladstone pairs up with a local doctor, who is also a home-brewer, and they make a special beer to sell at the event — with 100% of the sales going to YANA and BC Children’s Hospital. Sharratt concludes that they are happy to be a growing company in a community that they love. “We’re really com- munity focused. We’re not just making great beer, but we’re trying to bring the community together as well.”
try something completely different, while at the same time, giving the lounge tasters a new sensation for their palette. As mentioned, the company started out in a garage with a bunch of University of Victoria Economics grads making beer suited to their individual tastes. Of the group, Sharratt and his wife were the only ones who decided to leave their post- grad, steady-income jobs and let it ride on the craft brewing industry. It was a decision that paid off, as they found they were almost immediately in the position of needing to hire four servers for the tasting room and another staffer to help with the brewing in the production area. Fast-forward to 2017, and the company has about 17 employees including Sharratt and his wife. Much of the activity around the brewery comes from their 30-seat lounge (complete with a 100-seat outdoor patio which, incidentally, has a MUCH longer season on Vancouver Island than it would in just about any other location in Canada.) There is also a “growler filling station” where you can fill up a quantity of your favourite Gladstone brew and take it home. “We’re not just making great beer, but we’re trying to bring the community together as well.” But partnership plays a significant role in creating the scene at the brewery. They have leased out a portion of the brewery to a pizzeria, providing a food pairing with the beers on tap. “About six months in, we partnered up with a local company and we leased out a few hundred sq. ft. of our space and they put a pizzeria in there. So I can focus on the beer, they can focus on making pizza and we share the lounge and the patio. Andwe’ll probably stick with that model for this location because it makes sense to us.” While beer and pizza is flowing at the brewery location, Sharratt points out that the company did open their own taphouse a mere block away, called Cornerstone Café and Taphouse. It features the Gladstone brews, of course, but has up to a total of 32 taps flowing at any one time. “Most of the guest beers are from across BC, but we do have some coming in from out-of- province and the Pacific Northwest in the US.” Gladstone’s distribution plan goes far beyond their own block, mind you. Sharratt says that a high percentage of their sales are within the confines of their own establishments. But they also wholesale to a number of restaurants in the area and have taken on packaging their beer for sale in liquor stores in BC. Rules allow breweries and distilleries to direct-deliver to liquor stores, as long as the paperwork is filed through the regulating control board. Recently, they have released twobottle projects and launched a tall-can line for their core brands. Four-packs of Gladstone Pilsner, Gladstone IPA, and Gladstone Belgian Single are now available at the brewery and local liquor stores.
When theheart of your business beats alongwith thepulseof your community, the future can be nothing but healthy and bright.
Expansion is underway within the company, and there’s no end in sight. Their capacity has grown by more than 600%
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