The London-based Meantime Brewing Company is to unveil a new cafe, restaurant, bar and microbrewery in Greenwich, UK at the end of March.

The Old Brewery project, on the former Royal Naval College site, stands on the remains of a 19th century brewhouse and results from a £5m deal signed by the company with the Greenwich Foundation. Alistair Hook, founder of the Meantime Brewing Company said: "It is always a special moment to see a new brewery open. Especially so in London, home to some 1,300 breweries in the 14th century compared to only seven or eight today."

The Old Brewery's Main Hall, which will be home to eight large copper tuns and a British brewing history timeline, will act as a café during the day - serving sandwiches, bistro-style meals and pastries - when the adjacent new £6m Discover Greenwich interpretation and education centre is open. In the evening it will serve as a restaurant, offering modern British dishes with a heavy beer and seafood influence.

Meantime already owns and operates a pub in the same area, the Greenwich Union on Royal Hill. The Greenwich Foundation acts as a registered charity to look after the buildings and grounds of the Old Royal Naval College. It was set up in 1998 when the navy left the site and is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Pic: the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich. Image courtesy of Colin Gregory Chapman