In their professional life, Nancy Cowan and Frank Thompson were colleagues, but when they “retired” they became business partners. Nancy, along with her British husband, Ken Royal (who had always enjoyed a pint or two), joined Frank and his wife Josette deBrouwer, in establishing Bayside Brewing Co. in 2016.

The four housed the brewery in Erieau’s historic Lakeside Hotel overlooking Rondeau Bay. Their original goal was to reinvest in the local community while running a small business that allowed them a slower pace of life, as well as a chance to explore their passion for beer. To their surprise, the local community swarmed the brewery and customer demand transformed what had originally been plans for a small, quiet bar into a large BrewPub with a full menu, wood-burning pizza oven, and expansive deck providing great views of the bay and room for live music.

Since then, Bayside Brewing Co. has released four brews: Long Pond Lager, Light Lager, Bronzeback Ale and Honey Cream Ale. They’ve also released several seasonal brews to delight the senses and pair with ripe, local food. The beer is now available in a growing list of pubs and restaurants, and can also be found on the shelves of select LCBO stores across southern Ontario.

The owners are delighted in the reception they have received and plan to continue to invest in Chatham-Kent, brew quality, premium beer and make Bayside Brewing Co.’s product available to an ever-growing fan base of craft beer enthusiasts.