Brains has opened a new pub and immersive beer experience in Cardiff city centre through a collaboration with Heineken and Breaking Brands.
The Old Brewery officially opens to the public today in the city’s Brewery Quarter following a VIP launch event last night.
The venue combines Welsh food and drink with sports technology, creating a new leisure and hospitality offer within one of Cardiff’s main nightlife destinations.
The launch was attended by Welsh talent including former international rugby players Alun Wyn Jones and Josh Navidi, comedian and actor Mike Bubbins and BBC Morning Live star Justine Jones.
The Old Brewery is a partnership between Brains Brewery, global brewing company Heineken and Breaking Brands director Steve Lewis.
Its opening marks Brains’ return to the site where it brewed beer on St Mary’s Street from 1882 until 1999.
The former brewery site was redeveloped into a leisure complex in the early 2000s.
The new venue combines that history with technology-led entertainment and a food and drink offer centred on Welsh products.
The Old Brewery includes sports simulation bays covering rugby, football, cricket, golf and other activities across more than 3,500 real-world venues.
The simulators use smart-net and motion-tracking technology to create interactive sporting experiences beyond the pitch.
Inspired by major sporting moments in Cardiff, customers can test their kicking skills by attempting match-winning penalties and conversions.
The venue is also home to Bayside Flavour Fusion, a first-of-its-kind triple-beer font that serves three Bayside lagers from a single three-tap system.
Customers can choose between Original, Cherry and Grapefruit varieties.
The Old Brewery’s wider offer includes Brains cask ales and beers, Welsh spirits and a Welsh BBQ menu.
Nick Payne, CEO of Brains, said: “The Old Brewery is a fantastic celebration of everything that makes Cardiff and Wales special, bringing together our proud brewing heritage with a fresh and exciting vision for the future.
“It’s brilliant to see the doors open and people enjoying the space, and there’s something particularly special about being back home on the site where Brains brewed beer for more than a century. We can’t wait to welcome people through the doors and see The Old Brewery become part of the fabric of Cardiff once again.”
He added: “It’s also great that The Old Brewery is home to the first Bayside triple-serve system of its kind. The new serving system represents the latest innovation from Bayside, combining our award-winning lager with a fresh approach to how it can be served and enjoyed.
“We wanted to give lager lovers more choice and create something that would really bring Bayside to life in a new way. With Original, Cherry and Grapefruit all available from the same bar, customers can discover the different flavours and find their favourite.”
Steve Lewis, Director at Breaking Brands Management, said: “Opening a venue like this is hard graft, and it takes a proper team to pull it off. The Old Brewery has been a labour of love, taking a site with this much history and giving it a reason to matter to Cardiff all over again.”
He added: “We wanted to build somewhere that felt like it belonged to the city, where you can feel the history in the walls but everything around you is built for now.
“Whether that’s watching the rugby with a pint in hand, having a go on the sports simulators with your mates, or just finding somewhere decent to eat after work, we wanted it to work for all of it. That balance was the whole challenge, and I think we’ve nailed it.
“Seeing the doors open and the place full last night, that’s the whole reason we do this. Big thanks to the whole team who’s worked to get us here. This is just the start for us in this space.”
