In northern England, an ancient manor house dating back to the late 12th century is now radiating new life. This is the location of Olmsside Brewery—at the intersection of rich history and modern technology, WAGO automation is quietly changing the way every glass of beer is made.
01 Challenges: When Traditional Craftsmanship Meets Real-World Difficulties
“This building has stood here for over 700 years, worthy of our reverence,” says Ian Purves, head of Olmsside Brewery, succinctly capturing the unique charm of this old building. However, history and sentiment alone are far from sufficient to guarantee consistently high quality and superior taste in every glass of beer. Before the equipment upgrade, the brewing process at Olmside was a series of perilous challenges: Materials were entirely dependent on manual input and measurement; the brewing process required constant monitoring of thermometers, repeatedly checking and estimating material volumes; process control heavily relied on experience and manual judgment, both time-consuming and mentally taxing; and the brewers, exhausted from dealing with outdated equipment, had no time to focus on refining recipes and innovating processes, hindering their craftsmanship and making stability impossible.
02 Breakthrough: More Than Just a Brewery, a Precision Production System
"In our eyes, this is not just a brewery, but a production process requiring precise control," John Mackey, Sales Manager at WAGO Automation, summarized the starting point of the project.
Omside Brewery had very clear expectations for its partners:
They wouldn't accept a rigidly applied "standard package solution."
The historical architectural characteristics of the brewery must be fully respected and protected.
The solution needed to meet current production and operations while also considering the brand's future development plans.
Therefore, when the WAGO engineering team first visited the brewery, they didn't rush to "sell their products," but instead chose to do something more important first—deeply communicate their needs and jointly refine the solution.
03 Success, Precise Automation, Making Automation "Backstage"
Based on a comprehensive understanding of the process, the on-site environment, and development plans, WAGO created a customized automation solution for Omside. During the system's first trial run, a key moment left a deep impression on both teams:
The flow meter accurately reached the preset value
The delivery pump then automatically stopped
The entire process was smooth, stable, and highly controllable.
At that moment, the Omside team truly felt that the brewing process, which originally relied heavily on human experience, could be completely controlled with precise and reliable automation. The automation system ran silently in the background, allowing the brewers to finally put down the tedious equipment operations and reinvest their energy in what they truly loved. —Refining recipes, flavors, and processes. The success of Omside Brewery perfectly exemplifies how WAGO Automation empowers its clients, upholds craftsmanship, and co-creates the future.
More than just upgrades, it's a sustainable brewing practice.
Digitalization and automation not only improve efficiency and consistency but also open up new possibilities for sustainable development.
Today, Omside plans to further leverage WAGO's automation systems:
Converting excess solar energy from the brewery into brewing energy
Exploring a green, low-carbon production model within a historic building.
Post time: Aug-20-2026