HISTORY

MAGIC ROCK? What's that all about?

One of the questions we're asked most frequently when out at events is, ‘Why Magic Rock? Where does the name come from?’

When Rich Burhouse and Stuart Ross were planning the brewery back in 2010 the question of where to establish the brewing operations was never in doubt. Rich was lucky that the family business where he was was working at the time, had an unused outbuilding that with a bit of imagination and the correct permissions could be used to house a small brewery.

Rich spent around 3 months thinking of what to call the brewery, racking his brain for something original. At the time, he was obsessed with US craft beer, the idiosyncratic names and branding which accompanied it. First and foremost he wanted to pick a name that was unusual and memorable to new customers. He also didn’t want to just make a name up, it had to have a basis in reality and mean something personally to him.

So, why Magic Rock? The family business Rich worked in was established in the 1960’s and is an importer and wholesaler of Crystals, Minerals, semi-precious Jewellery and Natural gifts. If you’ve ever visited the seaside and been pestered by your kids, nephews and/or nieces into buying a little bag of fool’s gold or a fossil or gemstone necklace, there’s a fairly high probability that it came from the family business.

WE'VE COME A LONG WAY

The name ‘Magic Rock’ seemed right and was an acknowledgement of the opportunities the Burhouse business provided and is a permanent reminder of where the brewery started.

Since the move from our original site, to Birkby 2015 we no longer had a daily connection to the rocks and crystals, but when laying the new brewery floor, we made sure we threw a few crystals into the concrete as a good luck charm and a permanent reminder of the origins of Magic Rock Brewing.

We've since seen three rebrands, and countless incredible staff working with us as part of Team Magic, and we couldn't be prouder of what the brewery has become today.