Docks Beers has submitted plans for a major expansion into the building next door to our home on King Edward Street, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the brewery.
The development will significantly increase the size of the Docks Beers site, creating new spaces for food, retail, hospitality and events alongside our existing brewery, Taproom and Docks Academy.
The plans will bring the neighbouring building at 4–6 King Edward Street back into full use and connect it directly to The Church through a new main entrance, bringing the different parts of Docks together on one site.
The first part of the development will become The Food Hall, a new space alongside the existing Taproom.
The Food Hall will bring together independent food operators, an independent coffee shop, seating and a dedicated Docks Beers retail area for cans, bottles and merchandise.
At approximately 220m², the new Food Hall will be considerably larger than our current Taproom, giving us the opportunity to create the permanent and consistent food offer we’ve wanted at Docks for some time. The submitted plans include food operator units arranged around a central seating area, alongside a coffee and snack bar, craft beer display and merchandise area.
We’re already in discussions with a local food operator about joining us and are particularly keen to hear from independent coffee businesses interested in becoming part of the new space.
The second major addition will be The Warehouse, a new 585m² flexible events space.
That’s around two and a half times the floor area of Docks Academy and will allow us to host events that simply aren’t possible within our existing building.
The Warehouse is being designed as a versatile space capable of hosting conferences, exhibitions, artisan markets, weddings, private celebrations, festivals, corporate events and larger-scale entertainment.
It won’t replace Docks Academy. Instead, the two venues will give us very different spaces for different types and sizes of events, opening up many more possibilities for what can happen at Docks.
A new link between the two buildings will create one main entrance to the expanded site, connecting The Church, brewery, Taproom, Docks Academy, Food Hall and Warehouse.
The existing Church will remain externally unchanged, while the neighbouring warehouse will be given a completely new frontage with large glazed sections replacing the current closed roller shutter appearance.
The plans also include improved accessible access and dedicated parking spaces.
Rather than demolishing and rebuilding the neighbouring property, the development will make use of the existing structure, transforming currently underused commercial and storage space into publicly accessible, employment-generating space.
The expansion is the latest stage in the development of Docks Beers following Nick and Jay Kirkham acquiring a controlling interest in the business in March 2025.
Since then, the focus has been on strengthening the business, investing in the team and developing a long-term vision for Docks.
Nick Kirkham, Director of Docks Beers, said:
“Over the last 18 months we’ve spent a lot of time listening and learning. We’ve assembled a fantastic management team, developed a clear vision for the future, and we’re incredibly excited about what’s to come.
“Our expansion is about creating a destination that brings people together while showcasing the very best of Grimsby.”
The development will create new jobs as Docks Beers grows, while opening the door for other independent businesses to become part of the site.
For us, the ambition is simple: to create a destination Grimsby can be proud of. Somewhere you can come for a coffee in the daytime, meet friends for food and a pint, browse a market, see a gig, attend an event or celebrate a special occasion.
There’s still a long way to go, with the proposals now going through the planning process, but we’re incredibly excited to finally share what we’ve been working towards.
We’ll be sharing plenty more about the development and its progress over the coming months.
Want to be part of The Food Hall?
We’re currently looking to hear from independent coffee operators interested in joining us. If that sounds like you, get in touch at info@docksbeers.com.
