A new craft beer shop called the Filling Station will be opening in St Ives this weekend.

Founder, Matt Kelly, from Houghton, has worked for a large brewery for 23 years and the business venture is a response to the lock-down.

Matt says almost 12 months of lockdown had a huge impact on both small brewers and changes in consumer habits. Matt decided to leave his job and open the new beer and bottle shop in St Ives.

The stay-at-home and entertain market is rapidly growing which triggered the idea for the Filling Station.

Matt said: “The lockdown has inspired the Filling Station, and I want to build a business that supports local.

“We will primarily stock the fantastic local breweries across the surrounding area of Cambridgeshire and adjoining counties.

“Small breweries need our support more than ever at the moment, and the demand for good quality craft beer is exploding, and so we aim to help the local community discover some incredible beers.

“This isn’t about replicating the stuff available in supermarkets.

“These are some of the freshest tasting beers from local breweries such as Wylde Skye, Ivo Brewery, and Nene Valley, to name a few” The Filling Station opens at Abbey Retail Park, St Ives.

Ten beers will be available on constant rotation on the tap wall, and more than 200 different craft beers, ciders and stouts from the ice-cold fridges.

The tenth tap will be known as the ‘Community Tap’, and each month via social media, the customers will choose which beer is stocked.”

Describing the technology, Matt said: “We have a state-of-the-art tap wall that fills beer Growlers (glass containers in one and two litres that keep the beer super fresh).

“The tap flushes the container with CO2, so once the beer is in and sealed, it will stay fresh in your fridge at home for up to 30 days.

“We also have a drive-up collection point, so you can order your favourite beers on the website and then just swing by our collection windows and pick them up.”

“The Filling Station opens most days from noon till late and will soon start operating a delivery service to the surrounding towns and villages.”

More details about the launch can be found on the Filling Station website: www.thefillingstation.com