Heineken and United African Company (UAC) began construction of the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited in October 1961 in Wellington Industrial Estate in Freetown, and the first brew was mashed-in on 23 November 1962. The first brand to be brewed was Star Lager.[4]
A Brass plaque recording the opening of the Sierra Leone Brewery by Sir Milton Margai on 16 March 1963
It closed for six months in 1982 following a shortage of foreign exchange, reopening after the end of the rainy season. During the 1997 Military Coup, the brewing stopped for six months after the brewery was ransacked. On 6 January 1999, the rebel forces looted the brewery, stopping production for one and a half years.[citation needed]
A brass plaque recording the reopening of the Sierra Leone Brewery by Ahmad Tejan Kabbah after the destruction of the brewery by rebels in the civil war.
In 2006 a program was started to encourage local farmers to grow sorghum as part of a local sourcing drive.[9]
The current target of the local sourcing program is to receive 60% of raw materials from within Africa.[10]
The production of Salone Beer, made with 100% sorghum, has created a reliable source of income for over 12,000 farming families.[11]
