THE Luss couple behind an award-winning craft brewery are hoping to expand their business – with the help of a massive fund-raising campaign.

Fiona and Euan MacEachern, the owners of the Loch Lomond Brewery, are aiming to raise £350,000 to double the capacity and production of their premises, buy state-of-the-art new equipment, and find new investors to support their expansion plans.

The MacEacherns have taken to online investment and equity crowdfunding site Crowdcube, where they are offering to split around ten per cent of their business between those who choose to invest.

So far more than £235,000 has been raised through more than 300 unique investors ahead of the close of the campaign this coming weekend.

Managing director Fiona MacEachern said: “We’re almost at capacity with our floorspace where we are now, meaning that even though we have a shop, we can’t serve on site, and we can’t do tours of the brewery.

“With this campaign, we expect that we’ll be able to move to our own, purpose-built place, and we only need a little bit more support to get over the line.”

Each investor receives shares in return for their support, as well as rewards that become more and more special as the business grows.

Fiona and her husband Euan hope that, planning permission provided, they will be able to call the West Riverside development their new home by 2020, opening a new taproom, with a restaurant and visitor centre.

Fiona added: “We love the crowdfunding model because it gives our customers the opportunity to own a share in the business and in turn share in our future success.

“We’ve been so well supported locally and nationally, we could have perhaps gone for one private investor, but we’d prefer that lots of people come along for the ride.”

The brewery, which is based at Loch Lomond Industrial Estate in Alexandria, has been part of Scotland’s burgeoning independent craft beer scene since 2011.

Since then the MacEacherns have won multiple awards, their products are now stocked in major supermarkets across the country, and they have even started to export their beers abroad.

Just last week, Loch Lomond Brewery’s ‘Southern Summit’ ale, one of their biggest sellers, was declared Champion Bitter of Scotland 2018, and the same beer is up for the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) Champion Beer of Britain Award later this year.

Fiona added: “It’s always so nice and such an honour to hear that we’ve won awards.

“Often we don’t even realise we are being considered until CAMRA announces the winner.

“What is most lovely is that obviously people are enjoying the taste of our beers, and that’s what matters most.”

To find out more about the crowdfunding campaign, visit crowdcube.com/companies/loch-lomond-brewery/pitches/b3MGRl.