Damm inaugurates the new Eagle Brewery in Bedford
First Damm Brewery outside the Iberian Peninsula after £70m investment. The renovated facility doubles capacity, diversifies production, and generates local employment.
Damm, Spain’s largest brewing business, has officially opened its first brewery outside the Iberian Peninsula – The Damm Eagle Brewery in Bedford, England.
Strategically located between London and Birmingham, the site ensures efficient logistics while aligning with the group’s sustainability goals. Since acquiring the historic brewery in 2022, Damm has invested more than £70 million in a complete modernisation that boasts a state-of-the-art canning line, an additional brewstream, almost doubling capacity to 1.8 million hectolitres per year.
Damm has transformed the Bedford brewery to meet industry-leading standards, maintaining its commitment to quality, efficiency and a strong service-oriented approach, while reinforcing its ambition to become the UK’s largest independent beer company.
Jorge Villavecchia, Managing Director of Damm, said: “Our commitment goes beyond capital investment. We are bringing skills, innovation and a vision of how industry must evolve to remain competitive: more digital, more sustainable, more resilient. This country has shown, time and again, its ability to adapt and emerge stronger from adversity. That is why we believe that our decision to invest in Bedford will contribute not only to Damm’s growth, but also to the resilience of the UK’s wider economy.”
Jason Stockwood, Minister for Investment said: “Damm’s investment is a vote of confidence in the UK and demonstrates our Plan for Change in action. The UK is proud to be the location of Damm’s first brewery outside the Iberian Peninsula. Since acquiring the brewery, Damm has tripled its number of direct employees in the UK. Damm’s investment will support sustainability through a new canning line equipped with significant advances in technology and energy efficiency. And it will support innovation through a new incubator hub.”
The event was attended by His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner to Europe, Ceri Morgan CBE, who remarked: “I was delighted to join Damm for the official opening of The Damm Eagle Brewery in Bedford, which will bring new investment, skilled jobs and innovation into the region. This investment is a testament to our deepening commercial relationship with Spain - and with the EU. The UK will drive economic growth through our relationship with EU partners, including through delivering on our commitments in the UK-EU Summit in May and the UK-Spain Strategic Bilateral Framework signed in September.”
Growth driven by demand and innovation
This unprecedented investment allows Damm to meet increased UK demand for its flagship Mediterranean lager Estrella Damm, brewed on site since spring 2024 to serve the 150 pints poured every minute nationally. With double-digit growth in the past year, the UK market is on track for a record 2025, with 2026 projected to deliver another record-breaking year backed by new commercial and manufacturing partnerships.
The modernised facility has doubled packaging capacity and diversified into new formats and beverages, including soft drinks. Thanks to advanced syrup handling and mixing technology, the site can now produce soft drinks and “beyond beer” beverages, further diversifying Damm’s portfolio. Damm also partners with other companies to distribute beverages to both on- and off-trade channels.
Driving Local Employment and Building a Hub for Talent and Start-ups
This investment phase is expected to double the number of direct employees at the brewery. Over the past three years since acquiring the brewery, Damm has already tripled its number of direct employees in the UK, increasing from 56 to 180.
Looking to the future, Damm is also expanding its scope of work and will be launching an Accelerator Programme in the UK for industry businesses and start-ups to support innovation, production and distribution in one smooth operation. The UK will become a global hub for beyond beer innovation for all international business, which will see an incubator hub set up for fledging drinks brands with promise, to draw upon collective knowledge and experience to support small brands for mutually beneficial business.
A new chapter in brewing tradition
As Damm approaches its 150th anniversary in 2026, the opening of The Damm Eagle Brewery in Bedford marks another milestone in its growth journey. With a focus on quality, efficiency, sustainability and community engagement, Damm aims to consolidate its position as the largest independent beer company in the UK and to strengthen its leadership in the country’s premium and super-premium beer segments.
