It used to be called Balamory.
Now the iconic seafront village could become better known as To-beer-mory.
A microbrewery and off-sales shop is soon to open in Tobermory Main Street on the isle of Mull.
It is to be named ToBEERmory Brewery – with a microbrewery out back and a shop selling the local beers out front.
Painted a golden-beer colour, it sits nicely with the brightly painted buildings once made famous by kids TV hit Balamory.
At a recent meeting of Argyll and Bute Licensing Board, Tommy Watt and Jim Fenhoulet were granted permission for off-sales at 11 Main Street between the hours of 10am and 10pm.
Objections
This was despite two objections from neighbours at 10 Main Street who were concerned about noise.
Kirsty Blackhall, owner of the top floor of the building, wrote to the board saying that it was unreasonable to have the shop open until 10pm as it would disrupt residents of the building late into the night.
Iain Malcolm, another resident of the top floor, said there was no need to add to the disruption a brewery would create by keeping the shop open until 10pm.
However, Mr Watt told members of the board that the shop would very rarely be open until 10pm and would only stay open until 8pm during busy times.
He said: “It is more about having the availability to do those hours.”
Councillor Richard Trail said: “I have no issue with this application. I don’t think there is going to be much noise from a micro brewery with an off-sales element to it.”
His colleague, councillor Roddy McCuish, agreed. He said: “It’s in the centre of Tobermory. There is going to be some street noise.”
Moving to grant permission for the license, chairman of the board, councillor David Kinniburgh, said: “I hope you have a very successful business.”
The brewery will initially produce 200 litres of beer per day.
It will be sold in bottles, cans and served hand pulled from a tap in four-pint “growlers”.
Mr Watt said: “We don’t want to sell to other outlets. It’s a small-scale brewery with one front shop to enable us to sell directly to the public.”
They have several beers in the pipeline.
Currently brewing is TGB – Tobermory Golden Beer. The golden ale is 4.6% and described as tasting “quite malty, caramelly, with a bit of orange citrus”.
‘A wee bit spicy’
Also being produced is an amber ale, simply called Red. It is described as being “a wee bit spicy”.
The idea of a “growler” of beer came from America. Mr Watt said: “We pour the four pint growler, seal it and the person takes it away to their accommodation. They treat it like fresh milk and consume within three to four days.
“We are using pure malted barley. Beer has always been healthy – everything in moderation.”
Speaking about the night-time opening, he said: “It’s an off-sales shop, it’s not a pub. It’s for people to take away. It’s not as if there are going to be parties.”
Mr Watt was in the army for 25 years, worked for Tobermory Distillery for 12 years and helped to set up the Isle of Mull Brewing Company.
Mr Fenhoulet runs The Brown Shop in Tobermory, an ironmongers store also on Main Street.