Dancing Man Brewery on Town Quay turns 10 in February

Lifelong brewing aficionado Aidan Lavin and pub expert Mandy Lacey took over the building of the former Maritime Museum in 2014 and have never looked back since.

The Wool House – named as such because the building was used in the Middle Ages to store wool before it was transported to Europe – is now 10 years into a 25 year lease.

“We’ll probably carry on past 25,” brewing director Aidan said.

“We’re here for the long run and over the last 10 years, we’ve established ourselves and we’re something we can really be proud of.”

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The pub brews almost all its drink offerings on site, serving exclusive Dancing Man brews like the beloved Big Casino that can only be found at pubs owned by the brewery.

These beers are brewed in the backrooms of the venue, the tanks visible from inside the pub.

Another fan favourite is the Bone Dry, a 3.4% IPA with a bright, fruity flavour, but a classic Peroni is available on tap for those playing it safe too.

Almost everything on tap is a Dancing Man own brew. The Vagrant is an American style pale ale, and the Dancing Man prides itself of serving own-brewed beers inspired by foreign tastes.

“We take inspiration from different world beer, iterations from different countries,” Aidan said.

“We’ve currently got a beer in tank, ready to go on sale in a few weeks, which is a smoked lager.

“That’s an old idea and classic way to do it from Germany. That’s the artisanal part of brewery, taking inspiration from elsewhere and bringing it to life in a new way.”

The upstairs 100-seater restaurant at Dancing Man Brewery's The Wool House. A 100-seater restaurant upstairs is a perfect wedding venue for those making it official at the Southampton Registry Office next door.

“All of our food is inspired by the potential pairings with our beer,” Aidan started to explain.

“I write the recipes for the beer and sometimes the ideas for new beers are inspired by food.

“But the food menu is driven by the drinks, everything is driven by the beer, it’s so unique. Having unique combinations and beers only available at our pubs is the main unique selling point really.”

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Sitting on Town Quay, the pub is an instant hit with cruise punters, who head straight to the historic warehouse when getting off at nearby terminals.

Big crowds gather at the Dancing Man Brewery on Southampton FC matchdays. (Image: Newsquest) The pub sits directly opposite the Red Funnel terminal too, meaning The Wool House often attracts Saints fans from the Isle of Wight heading to St Mary’s.

Aidan explained that away fans flocked to the pub before games too.

Aidan said: “Travelling fans tell us that they google ‘Southampton craft beer’ and we come up first.

“We’re well established and 10 years into the game now, so when people realise how close we are to the stadium, they often spend a lot of time in there before the game.”