Formerly The Old Post Restaurant, the prominent black and white timber building has been empty since May

An independent brewer is aiming to breathe new life into a 400-year-old building in Chesterfield.

Neil Smith of Butt Heads Brew Co Ltd, Matlock has applied for planning permission to change the use of 43 Holywell Street from restaurant to taproom.

Formerly The Old Post Restaurant, the prominent black and white timber building has been empty since May 2026.

Mr Smith’s application to Chesterfield Borough Council states that the proposed taproom would be run by the company’s two directors and would be open from 12noon to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 2pm until 8pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

The applicant and his son have brewed handcrafted beer for five years and officially launched their company in January 2026. They brew in small batches, producing cask, keg and canned beers, which are supplied to outlets in Matlock, Chesterfield and Derby. Their website says: “For now, we’re still brewing alongside our full-time jobs in the building industry, but our goal is to keep growing Butt Heads Brew Co and eventually make brewing beer our full-time gig.”