Mount Saint Bernard Abbey

What Mount Saint Bernard Abbey does

Mount Saint Bernard Abbey is a Roman Catholic Cistercian monastic community of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists), located at Oaks Road, Coalville, Leicestershire, England. Founded in 1835 by Ambrose de Lisle and raised to Abbey status in 1848, it operates under the Rule of Saint Benedict with a self-sufficiency ethos ('Ora et Labora' — Pray and Work) and receives no Church subsidies. Its commercial activity is anchored by England's first Trappist brewery, established in converted monastic spaces in 2018 after the closure of an uneconomic dairy farm in 2013. The brewery operates a single 20-hectolitre vessel producing Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale (7.4% ABV, mahogany dark ale, twice-fermented with English barley, hops, and an English yeast strain), making the abbey the 12th Trappist brewery worldwide.

The revenue model is diversified across four streams: (1) Tynt Meadow ale, distributed nationally in the UK by James Clay and in France via Divine Box, with growing direct-to-consumer sales through a Shopify online store offering free local delivery within 12.5 miles on orders over £30; (2) the on-site Abbey Gift Shop, selling monk-made pottery, greeting cards printed in the Abbey Press, rosaries, books, religious artwork, music CDs, and abbey-produced honey; (3) a guesthouse offering retreat accommodation on a donations basis for two nights up to five days; and (4) Fr Joseph's Tynt Meadow Beer Bread DIY kit. Marketing is entirely organic — Facebook, Instagram (Tynt Meadow), email newsletter, and Amazon Smile — with no paid digital acquisition, no venture capital, and no external ownership.

The entity is a private nonprofit monastic community led by an elected Abbot (currently Dom Joseph Delargy, re-elected July 2023) and supported by approximately 8 listed employees (predominantly monastic). Operational governance includes a 2025 CSSA safeguarding audit ('Met with Recommendations'), membership in the International Trappist Association, and peer partnerships with Norcia (Benedictine), Westvleteren, and a Dutch master brewer. Strategic positioning rests on the intersection of Trappist authenticity, English brewing heritage centred on Burton-on-Trent, and the regulatory designation of 'Authentic Trappist Product', which together command premium craft-beer pricing despite structurally constrained production capacity.

Name

Mount Saint Bernard Abbey

Legal name

Mount Saint Bernard Abbey

Website

https://mountsaintbernard.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1835

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mount Saint Bernard Abbey is a Cistercian (Trappist) monastery in Leicestershire, England, operating England's first Trappist brewery producing Tynt Meadow Ale, alongside a gift shop, pottery, and donations-based retreat guesthouse serving retreatants, pilgrims, and craft-beer consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trappist Brewery and Monastic Hospitality

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Trappist beer brewing
• Monastic hospitality services
• Artisan religious gifts
• Contemplative retreat accommodation
• Handcrafted monastic products

Headquarters

HQ city

Coalville

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tynt Meadow Trappist Ale: Monastic brewery producing Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale, the 12th Trappist brewery worldwide and the first in England. Brewed with English barley and hops, 7.4% ABV, distributed via James Clay in UK and Divine Box in France.
2. Gift Shop Sales: Monastic gift shop selling Tynt Meadow ale, pottery, books, gifts, cards, rosaries, honey, and CDs. Open Monday-Saturday 10am-4:30pm, including Bank Holidays except Christmas Day.
3. Handcrafted Products: Monks produce pottery in the Abbey Pottery, rosaries, greetings cards printed in the Abbey Press, and honey from their apiary.
4. Guesthouse Hospitality: Guesthouse accommodation for retreatants, relatives, and those interested in monastic life. Operating as donations-based model to support running costs.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mount Saint Bernard Abbey is a Cistercian (Trappist) monastic community that commercially produces Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale — the 12th Trappist brewery worldwide and the first in England — alongside a Guesthouse offering contemplative retreat accommodation and an Abbey Gift Shop selling handcrafted monastic products (pottery, rosaries, greeting cards, honey, books, religious music, and icons). All production, brewing, and hospitality are performed by the monks themselves under the 'Ora et Labora' (Pray and Work) tradition, generating income to sustain the abbey without Church subsidies.

Product overview

Mount Saint Bernard Abbey operates as a unified offering centred on monastic life (Ora et Labora - Pray and Work). The core commercial products are Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale (the abbey's principal field of labour since 2018, brewed on-site by the monks in their 20 hectolitre brewery) and the Abbey Shop (selling honey, pottery, books, cards, rosaries, music, and religious artwork made by the monks). The guesthouse provides retreat accommodation for those seeking to share in the monastic rhythm of prayer. The monastery itself conducts contemplative monastic life, with craft work including carpentry, pottery, bookbinding, candle making, and rosary making.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale: England's first Trappist ale, brewed by the Cistercian monks of Mount Saint Bernard Abbey. A strong dark ale at 7.4% ABV, mahogany-colored with notes of dark chocolate, liquorice, and rich fruit flavors.

Products and services

• Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale Mahogany-coloured strong dark ale (7.4% ABV) brewed with English barley and hops using an English strain of yeast and a twice-fermented process (first in tank, second in bottle). Authentically Trappist designated, produced entirely by Cistercian monks of Mount Saint Bernard Abbey. The 12th Trappist brewery worldwide and the first in England. Distributed in the UK by James Clay and in France by Divine Box.
• Abbey Gift Shop Product Line Range of handcrafted and curated products sold by the monks, including Abbey Pottery, Fr Joseph's Tynt Meadow Beer Bread DIY kit, greeting cards printed in the Abbey Press, handmade wooden rosaries, honey from the abbey apiary, religious books and Bibles, works authored by the monks (including Cistercian Studies), religious music CDs and cassettes, icons, plaques, statues, crosses, and crucifixes. Available on-site (Monday-Saturday 10am-4:30pm) and via the online Shopify store with local delivery.
• Guesthouse Accommodation Monastic hospitality offering accommodation for retreatants, relatives and friends of monks, and those interested in monastic life. Stays typically range from two nights up to five days. Operates on a donations-based model to help reduce running costs. Includes participation in the monastic rhythm of prayer and access to Holy Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Quantifiable outcome

• First English Trappist Ale - unique market position as 12th Trappist brewery worldwide

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• James ClaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 July 2018James Clay is the UK distributor for Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale. Based in the UK, they handle national distribution to selected outlets.
• Divine BoxminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDivine Box is the French distributor for Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale, serving customers in France.
• Constant KeinemanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch master brewer who guided Zundert in their brewery development and serves on the quality commission of the International Trappist Association. Provided invaluable advisory support for developing Mount Saint Bernard's brewery.
• Norcia Brewery (Benedictine monks)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDom Erik and Fr. Michael visited the Benedictine monks of Norcia who had opened a successful brewery. Three monks of Norcia visited Mount Saint Bernard to share experience.
• St Sixt - Westvleteren AbbeycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBr. Andrew and Fr. Joseph visited this abbey, considered to brew 'the best beer in the world', to experience their brewing and organisation.
• International Trappist AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMount Saint Bernard Abbey was accepted as a member of the International Trappist Association. The association provides guidance and quality commission oversight for authentic Trappist designation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Abbaye Notre-Dame de Scourmont (Chimay): Chimay, one of the most internationally recognized Trappist breweries at Scourmont Abbey, Belgium. Comparable as a Trappist brewery with similar authentic designation, monastic production, and global export channels that Tynt Meadow could emulate.
• Brasserie d'Orval: Trappist brewery at Orval Abbey in Belgium, producing a single distinctive Trappist ale. Comparable as a single-product Trappist brewery using monastic labor, with the same International Trappist Association membership and authentic designation as Mount Saint Bernard.
• Brasserie de Rochefort: Trappist brewery at Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy Abbey in Rochefort, Belgium, producing three authentic Trappist ales brewed by monks. Directly comparable as a small-output, monks-only Trappist brewery with a centuries-old monastic heritage and protected designation.
• Brouwerij der Sint-Benedictusabdij de Achelse Kluis (Achel): Achel Abbey Trappist brewery in Belgium, one of only a handful of Trappist breweries producing a small range of authentic Trappist ales brewed by monks. Directly comparable as a fellow small-scale Trappist brewery using traditional monastic production methods with comparable revenue model.
• Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle: Westmalle Abbey Trappist brewery in Belgium, considered the original Trappist brewery and benchmark for the designation. Direct comparable with full Trappist heritage authentication, monastic-only brewing operations, and global distribution model.
• Brouwerij Westvleteren (St. Sixtus Abbey): Belgian Trappist abbey famous for Westvleteren 12, widely regarded as one of the best beers in the world. Mount Saint Bernard's brewers visited Westvleteren for guidance, and both share the same International Trappist Association designation, scarcity-driven demand, and monastic-only production.
• Koningshoeven (La Trappe): Trappist brewery at Koningshoeven Abbey in the Netherlands, producing La Trappe branded Trappist beers. Comparable as a European Trappist brewery with extensive distribution and the same International Trappist Association membership as Mount Saint Bernard.
• Brouwerij De Ryck (Herentals) - Zundert Abbey: Zundert Abbey in the Netherlands is a fellow recent Trappist brewery whose master brewer (Constant Keinemans) provided advisory support to Mount Saint Bernard. Direct comparable as a small European Trappist brewery serving national and export craft beer markets.
• Spencer Brewery (St. Joseph's Abbey): Trappist brewery at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts — the first and only American Trappist brewery. Directly comparable as an English-speaking, recently-established Trappist brewery built by monks to fund their contemplative community, with similar scale (small-batch monastic production) and similar challenges scaling distribution.
• Abbazia di San Benedetto (Norcia Brewery): Brewery operated by Benedictine monks at Norcia, Italy. Mount Saint Bernard's monks specifically consulted Norcia during their brewery development, making it a directly comparable monastic brewery model — religious community operating a craft brewery to fund self-sufficiency.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Mount-St-Bernard-Abbey-120322257677
• Instagraminstagram.com/tyntmeadow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mount-saint-bernard-abbey

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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