Toronto transaction: Junction Craft Brewery acquires Woodhouse Brewing Co.

Junction Craft Brewery (JCB) just announced the acquisition of Woodhouse Brewing Co. — an independent craft brewer based in Toronto — and the establishment of a new parent company, Junction Craft Beverage Co. (JCBC).

For 11 years, Junction has been a staple in the west Toronto beer scene, producing a range of exceptional craft beers including its flagship beer, award-winning Conductor’s Craft Ale. In October of 2021, the company initiated a formal restructuring, allowing them to streamline their finances and operations, positioning the business for a post-COVID world and fast-changing beverage market. With the creation of this parent company, Junction is commencing a multi-year expansion and brewery investment strategy, solidifying its evolution from brewery to beverage company. JCBC will build and further define the growing suite of services and brand portfolio established under JCB. Today the business consists of two areas:

• JCBC brand portfolio — Junction Craft Brewery, Woodhouse Brewing Co., Caribru
• Craft Beer Services — Co-packing services supporting craft beverage entrepreneurs and businesses

“Over the last two years, JCB has evolved into a multi-brand/co-packing business. We are now well-positioned to accelerate our growth, keeping pace with the changing beverage market. Leveraging our facility strengths, successes and learnings, we’ve expanded our capabilities to include Ready-to-Drink (RTD), non-alcoholic beer and sparkling beverages,” says Stuart Wheldon, CEO of Junction Craft Beverage Co. “We’re seeing constant creative innovation coming out of the small and medium-sized beverage space. Our goal is to be right there with our peers, offering value added services to our partners, from product development and production to logistics and distribution support. Combined with our own brand strategy, we’re creating a business that celebrates all things craft and lets us do the thing we love most: create exceptional beverages for our customers.”

In support of this new strategy, JCBC’s acquisition of Woodhouse Brewing Co. adds a selection of quality craft beer to complement their growing brand portfolio. Woodhouse Founder Graham Woodhouse joins JCBC as VP of Sales, overseeing the entire brand portfolio and retains an ownership stake in the business.

“We’ve worked with the Woodhouse team for years, producing a number of products for them,” says Wheldon. “Bringing Woodhouse onboard is both an exciting and logical step for us. We’re excited to work with Graham and his team, supporting the great work they have done and providing them with additional infrastructure and resources to help continue to grow the brand and reach new customers.”

“As one of Ontario’s largest contract brewers, we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last eight years,” says Woodhouse Founder Graham Woodhouse. “Joining JCBC, a larger organization with a physical brewery, allows us to access new channels, more easily bringing new products to market. It’s important that we continue to serve our customers by supplying exceptional products where and however they want to purchase them. We are excited to be a part of this journey with JCBC.”

Today, JCBC produces over 70 different products for more than 30 different partners, including craft beer, spirit based RTDs, non-alcoholic beer, and sparkling beverages. Their online offering provides customers with free same day delivery across Toronto for both JCB and partner products. With the new addition of Woodhouse, and the establishment of JCBC, customers can expect to see an expanded product offering and more exciting announcements in the coming months. Woodhouse products are now available online and at the JCBC retail shop and taproom.