Lockdown prevents anyone organising a celebration in a brewery just now, but glasses are still being raised in Eigg after a major fundraising achievement.
Investors backing Scotland’s first community-owned micro brewery planned for the island have topped up a crowdfunding appeal to break the project’s maximum target.
A £125,000 share offer was launched last month to get the brewery powered by renewable energy off the ground.
After that was reached, the target was extended to £190,000. By yesterday, nearly 600 investors had brought the total to £193,656.
Founder Stuart McCarthy said it has fast-tracked the project and efforts to create three jobs in the first three years.
He said: “What excites and humbles me about our campaign has been the number of people backing us and why.
“There’s clearly an appetite for a different approach to business. Instead of being driven by profit alone, an approach where people and planet have equal importance to profit has a clear resonance.
“Breaking through our target really ups the pace which things can happen. There’s such huge potential.”
Construction of the Eigg brewery will begin in April 2021 with the aim of being operational by August.
In line with the island’s award-winning green credentials, brewing will use solar power panels. It is planned to buy an electric van to transport beer on Eigg and to the mainland and create the island’s first electric vehicle charge point.
Mr McCarthy is also exploring growing hops on Eigg.
He said the brewery will provide grants for new business start-ups: “We want to help counter the effects of Covid and recession by creating a platform for people to thrive.”