PRESS RELEASE Maryville, TN (October 30, 2023) – Oldham Hospitality announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Blackberry Farm to acquire the brand’s brewery business and Maryville taproom.
The news is the result of extensive planning between two respected local hospitality companies with a longstanding and supportive relationship and deep roots in Blount County – Blackberry Farm and Oldham Hospitality. Once an ancillary complement to Blackberry Farm’s primary hospitality business, the beer-related operations have grown to a point of warranting their own independent leadership and business trajectory. The transition plan sees the stewardship and ownership of Blackberry Farm Brewery being assumed by Oldham Hospitality, a local team with a strong desire to grow their beer-focused business in East Tennessee, starting December 1, 2023.
The resulting brewery will be renamed Peaceful Side Brewery, an extension and expansion of Oldham Hospitality’s successful Townsend-based restaurant, Peaceful Side Social. Peaceful Side Brewery will honor and build on the foundation that Blackberry Farm Brewery has established over the past decade by continuing to craft high-quality and engaging beers and offering a local gathering spot that serves and caters to the community.
Oldham Hospitality will continue to make Blackberry Farm Brewery beer for the taproom and larger market, and Roy Milner, longtime beer industry veteran and Blackberry Farm Brewery’s chief fermentation officer, will continue to oversee all Blackberry Farm Brewery activities to ensure quality, deliverables, and that the brand remains in the highest regard.
“When we started the brewery, we had one hotel and a more singular focus within the food and beverage industry. Today, as we operate multiple hotels, we know we must remain clearly and specifically focused on our properties and their operations, so we are pleased to shift the brewery into such capable hands,” says Blackberry Farm President Matt Alexander.
“We have long held a desire to step into the beer industry and expand our family business outside of Townsend,” says Mark Oldham, President of Oldham Hospitality. “As we expand into Maryville, we look forward to the challenge of embracing a new market and broadening the community we serve. We couldn’t have found a better path forward than with the guidance of Roy Milner and foundation of the Blackberry Farm Brewery.”
Both companies have a passion for hospitality, providing unique experiences, responsible development and conservation, and building culture through local teams. The beer industry sees many acquisitions that often involve huge corporations, often from different industries and outside of the provenance of the original brewery.
“This is very intentionally a local transition from family-owned to family-owned business, which helps keep our talented team intact and resources within the local economy,” says Roy Milner. Over the last 12 years, the Blackberry Farm Brewery has won the beer industry’s top awards, earned a passionate following, and anchored a successful brewery and taproom business located in Walland and Maryville, Tennessee.
About the Blackberry Farm Brewery
Established in 2011, Blackberry Farm Brewery began producing beer for guests and a few select restaurants in the Southeast. Since then, the Blackberry Farm Brewery has produced award- winning beer, expanded its taproom and grown to a larger market encompassing distribution across the United States. The Blackberry Farm Brewery is respectful of the time-honored methods of making beer, while constantly pushing the boundaries to employ modern techniques to enhance the complexity of their releases. To learn more, please visit www.blackberryfarm.com/brewery.
About Oldham Hospitality
Established in 2013, Oldham Hospitality is a family-owned business based in Townsend, Tennessee. It’s flagship property, Dancing Bear Lodge and Appalachian Bistro has welcomed guests from all over the United States to the gateway of the Smoky Mountains National Park. Since its inception, Oldham Hospitality has brought Apple Valley Mountain Village, Smoky Mountain Outdoor Center (SMOC), FudgeShop, The Dancing Bean Coffee House, and Peaceful
Side Social Brewery and Craft Kitchen under its family of Brands. To learn more, please visit www.Oldhamhospitality.com and www.peacefulsidesocial.com.