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CTV News
20 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Cheers to ten years: Cape Breton craft brewery marks big birthday
Ten years ago, two young men in Sydney - a consulting engineer, and a teacher - had a dream. 'Myself and Andrew (Morrow) were both home brewers at the time,' said Breton Brewing Co., co-owner Bryan MacDonald on Friday, of the pair's fledgling business idea back in 2015. Bryan MacDonald and Andrew Morrow Breton Brewing celebrates their 10th year anniversary. (Source: Facebook) MacDonald said he and Morrow, who were both starting their families as well, felt an entrepreneurial itch. That's why they left their jobs, and on the final weekend of June 2015 opened the first craft brewery in the Sydney area. Cape Breton Island has two other microbreweries - Big Spruce Brewing in Nyanza and Route 19 Brewing in Inverness. 'It was definitely a leap,' MacDonald said. 'But we had a good business plan and a belief in our idea, so we decided to take that leap.' 'It seems like a whirlwind,' Morrow added. 'The last ten years have been filled with a lot of highs, and a lot of support from the community that we live in.' Breton Brewing's beginnings were relatively humble. The brewery started with just two kinds of beer - Black Angus IPA and Stirling Hefenweizen German wheat beer, growlers only -and a building the two men renovated along the way while selling their first several months' worth of pints. Breton Brewing Co. Breton Brewing brewed a beer specially for their ten-year anniversary. (CTV Atlantic/Ryan MacDonald) Now, their beers are among the best-sellers throughout Nova Scotia and the Maritimes. 'Because of that support, we've been able to increase our staff to about 30 and employ people here in Cape Breton,' Morrow said. 'And that was our main goal, was to keep more people home here in Cape Breton.' There are events happening at the brewery on Keltic Drive in Coxheath all weekend long to celebrate the ten-year anniversary, but the big day is Saturday. The main day of festivities includes an outdoor concert headlined by Jordan Musyscyn, The Tom Fun Orchestra, and Rankin MacInnis & The Broken Reeds. No decade in business is without its challenges, and the past one included the COVID-19 pandemic when Breton - and so many others in the industry - pivoted to make home deliveries. As for what might be in store for the next ten years, the two men say something new could be 'on tap' by as soon as the fall. 'We're working on a downtown location in Sydney,' MacDonald said. 'We have a building that we have been working on retrofitting, so that's kind of the next step for Breton Brewing.' Heading into their big birthday weekend, there seemed to be only one thing left to say. 'Cheers to ten years,' Morrow said. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
13-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
From brews to BBQ: Maritimers get set to celebrate Father's Day weekend
Andrew Morrow and Bryan MacDonald, co-owners of Breton Brewing Co. in Coxheath, N.S., are pictured on June 13, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Ryan MacDonald) Dads who stop in for a pint at Breton Brewing in Coxheath, N.S., this Father's Day weekend will find something in common with the two men who run the craft brewery. 'We both have two young boys,' said co-owner Andrew Morrow, who operates the microbrewery with his business partner Bryan MacDonald. 'Mine are 11 and eight, and same with Bryan.' The pair's other baby – the brewery – is just a couple of weeks shy of its tenth birthday, which means their business came to life shortly after the men became fathers for the first time. 'Yeah, it was a juggle for sure,' said Morrow. 'I mean, we both had other professions too and we had young families, so it was definitely a test of strength and attitude.' At Governor's Pub & Eatery, a restaurant along the Sydney waterfront, owner and head chef Ardon Mofford said the hope is the recent streak of wet weekends will finally end giving fathers and their families some patio weather. 'Obviously, we'll get more dads in here and they'll get to sit outside and enjoy the scenic view of the harbour,' said Mofford of the possibility of a good forecast for Saturday and Sunday. 'We're going to fire up the barbecues. We have all kinds of steaks and ribs on.' Along with dad jokes, there is another thing fathers are known for: good advice. 'I think just doing everything to 100 per cent capacity, making sure you're doing things well,' said Morrow about a life lesson given by his father. Morrow's first job was cleaning an apartment building in Montreal. 'I used to have to vacuum and sweep and I made sure it was done really well,' he said. 'I carried that on for my whole life, and I would always say that to my sons too, 'Do whatever you're going to do and do it really well.'' MacDonald will spend some of the weekend with his father Paul – a retired high school math teacher who is one of the regulars at his son's business. 'He's supported me over the years, but kind of allowed me to make my own decisions,' the younger MacDonald said. 'But he's been very helpful, and I still chat with him most days about different things in life and I know that Father's Day is an important weekend.' For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
