Homebrew: Where Quality Craft Beer Meets Local Community on the Wirral

The second instalment of our #VenueFeatures is here! This month, Nick Mooney (Merseyside and Cheshire Account Manager) is shining a spotlight on Homebrew, a family-owned bottleshop and taproom located in the picturesque village of Oxton on the Wirral peninsular.     

The Wirral peninsular, for those who don’t know is an area of the North West of England, flanked by the River Dee to the west (forming the boundary with North Wales), the River Mersey and Liverpool to the east, and Chester to the South. This is where in the picturesque village of Oxton you’ll find a busy little high street, where there’s a popular family-owned coffee shop called Home. Brothers Charlie and Jack Harrison decided in 2013 it was time for them to open the doors to Homebrew for the first time.

Choosing to open the first specialist bottle shop in the region was an ambitious decision, but under Charlie’s watchful eye it became a roaring success. Stocking all the import favourites that Cave Direct have on offer from the likes of Delirium and Orval to Augustiner and Paulaner, whilst also selecting the best UK brewers such as Pilot and Deya along with all the local indy breweries. Over time, Homebrew Bottle Shop’s range and reputation grew and grew, and in summer 2017 Jack opened Homebrew’s first taproom also in Oxton.

Taking inspiration from the now well-established range in the bottle shop, Jack chose to again work with Cave Direct to offer a tap list that would make any craft beer fan walking though the door wanting to come back for more every time. With permanent lines of Paulaner Munich Hell, Kona Big Wave, and Lervig taking centre stage along with the likes of Deya, Magic Rock and there’s Sheppy’s too for any cider fans, as well as a rotating cask line for those looking for a more traditional style. Not only does the tap offer great draught beers but there’s also a fridge stocked full with all those favourites from the shop to either drink in or take out.

So, with the first two sites established, and with plenty of experience under their belts, it was time to expand further. The Seaside towns of New Brighton and West Kirby were next. More recently, this side of the global pandemic saw the opening of sites in Hoole, Chester; and Frodsham, Cheshire, with their latest offering on its way opening in Crosby, Liverpool this May. I think it’s safe to say that these guys know what they’re doing and they know what their customers desire.

   The Wirral is also home to the second-best football club on Merseyside, Tranmere Rovers FC. Dad, Ben, is Chairman of the Tranmere Rovers Supporters Trust, so it was an obvious decision what to do when looking for someone to operate the Fan Park at Prenton Park. There aren’t be many matchdays where you can enjoy a pint of Paulaner or grab a Big Wave at the ground, but you can at Tranmere.

So whilst Homebrew have grown as quickly as they have, it’s clear to see that they are well and truly rooted in the local community and these guys want you to feel at home. Home can be defined as a space used as semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals – I think that pretty well describes everything Homebrew does. They’re all welcoming and bright, with a sleek, crisp Scandinavian aesthetic, and your dog is always welcome too. I’m looking forward to the new opening in Crosby, and seeing what the future holds for these guys.