Doing Porridge for the Guild

Now then: I bet there are lots of you that think a bit like Yosser 'gizza job' Hughes in eighties TV black comedy Boys from the Blackstuff': 'Beer writing? I can do that.'

Yummy, yum, malted porridge

You may be right. But, as your blogger correspondent can report, it's not always beer, skittles and pretty Pendle Witches in the ale scribing business. Sometimes it gets serious. And so it did last week when I was summoned by the British Guild of Beer Writers to sample some malted barley in an seminar entitled 'UK Malt: Taste the Difference', an event which gave an overview of the malt industry and its future.

This was part of the Guild's mission to promote the provenance of ale and was based on a study carried out by the BRi (Brewing Research Institute) into malt flavour profiles. You might be amazed at the amount of effort that is going on in this area. Boffins all over the world are having sleepless nights worrying about what's in your pint. When you have a day or two spare you should have a look-see on the internet.

Eyes down and look in.

Anyway, the event began convivially enough as the boys gathered to gird their tonsils for the challenge ahead. Then it suddenly got a little scary.

Most beer drinkers know that malted barley is a fundamental building block for beer. However, few of us, I suspect - myself included - have much experience of it in its mashed porridge like state.

Well there's a first for everything they say and this was mine. Put on by Robin Appel Ltd of Warminster Maltings (http://www.warminster-malt.co.uk/) and beer champions R&R Teamwork it was a well staged event at the Spice of Life in Cambridge Circus at the heart of London's theatreland.

Eight types of barley 'porridge' were served up for our delectation in a 'blind tasting' to acquaint us with the different attributes of the various malts. Alongside we also had a snifter of the 5 per cent abv bottled beer that had been mashed with the corresponding malts. We nibbled, we sipped. We compared, we contrasted. We muttered, sage-like, into our beer.

Brewing expert Kamini Dickie gets the show on the road.

It wasn't a pretty sight (the mash that is, not the beer writers - but then again?).The photo above top perhaps does the job better than any words. But let's try. The words sludge or slurry come instantly to mind. Brownish looking, rather unattractive blobs of sludge (can it be appealing?). It occurred to me that the exercise was reminiscent of the famous 'Walter Raleigh smoking sketch - ' yes Walt you stick it in your mouth an set fire to it? Sure Walt.'

No, it wasn't so bad. It sort of grew on you. In fact a fellow Guild member, having skipped lunch, quickly cleared the plate. I was a little more circumspect, preferring to take the liquid form.

All good fun really. But, on a serious level, gave us a real insight into how malt flavours can range from biscuit and toffee through nutty, fruit, chocolate, sweetcorn and sulphur notes. The barley varieties used in the specially brewed ales were Cellar, Cocktail, Optic, Tipple, Westminster, Flagon, Maris Otter and Pearl. Bet you didn't know there were so many.

Overall, Maris Otter appeared to come on top. I was pleased with that as it was the one I favoured, but then I guess I might be used to it.

For the record, Maris Otter is a cross between Proctor & Pedigree by Dr Colin Bell in 1960 and is the only barley to be created specifically for brewing.

Its features include a fresh and crisp flavour with biscuit and grain notes, low astringency and bitter sweet balance. Along with Optic, Maris Otter also gives best Head Retention Values (HDV) relating to good foam (wow). Overall, it gets on well in the brewhouse and provides a worthy backcloth to introduce other flavours during the brewing process. Phew, glad we've got that sorted then.

Gratuitous photo

It had been a tough afternoon, but was now time to relax. So I head for a pint in Mayfair with son Andrew, now working in Gerald Grosvenor's (aka Duke of Westminster) gold encrusted corner of the capital. A decent pint of Young's Bitter (Maris Otter with Fuggles and Goldings), at the Audley was followed by a visit to the wonderfully chocker ale house (no food) Ye Grapes in the Shepherd's Market(http://www.pubs.com/ ), a lively bit of London that evokes some interesting memories for me.

Time for a pint

I worked in that pub 30 years ago as a young and temporarily jobless journalist, a situation brought about by a nine month spat between the National Union of Journalists and the Westminster Press newspaper baron. In those days my erstwhile mother-in-law, a fine woman I always said, ran the place. I must have been a rare breed of son-in-law to actually enthuse about living with the in-laws. The experience, I think, has stood me in good stead throughout the years. Beer and skittles eh?

Is that real ale Jim?

Burton-on-Trent has a new ‘alien’ brewer on the patch with the launch of the Black Hole Brewery from its space port at Imex Business Park.

Bob Shardlaw and Richard Swanwick roamed the universe far and wide- even to Edinburgh - for three years on their mission to find suitable premises before landing on their star venue in the cradle of UK brewing.

So, finally, they got lift-off for the ten-barrel-custom-built-plant (from Abbott & Co of Newark) in January with the roll out of Black Hole Bitter (3.8%), straw coloured session ale that they are confident will please the taste buds of the earthmen. Other space themed brews from the duo - who both trained at the brewing industry’s ‘Cape Canaveral’- Brewlab in Sunderland are Red Dwarf (4.5%) and the dark and powerful No Escape (5.2%).

Among ‘starships’ supplied is the Derby cask ale shrine the Brunswick, where leisure management graduate Richard used to pull pints and the 19th century Bell Inn at Smalley. Boggarts is also providing shuttle services, while a further boost was expected from the pioneering SIBA Direct Delivery Scheme.

Curiously, the Black Hole’s premises stand on the site of the former Ind Coope bottling plant where Richard and ex-teacher-cum-tree- surgeon Bob have literally found a hole under the floor filled with old crates and bottles. Extra terrestrial or what Mr Spock?

Grindleton opens - and then expands

The Ribble Valley’s new brewery Grindleton Brewhouse Ltd launched officially in March at the Clarets Trust Beer Festival and has already moved from Bolton-le-Bolton into new premises to meet demand.

The brainchild of sales and marketing men Ian Lait and Dave Brown at a 40th birthday party in April 2006 the idea was developed over a several months. Local businessman David Schofield joined them in November, just as the deal was struck to buy a five-barrel-plant from Wylam Brewery in Northumberland. Now the bigger premises in Clitheroe are equipped with five fermenting vessels and ten conditioning tanks as more outlets stock their ales.

Head brewer Ian had been brewing at home for over twenty years and made the move into commercial brewing with help and advice from Wylam’s head brewer, Martin Hammill together with training at Brewlab.

The first beers out were golden bitter Ribble Rouser (3.8% ABV) and Old Fecker (4.0% ABV), ‘a chestnut bitter with a hint of ruby’. Beers planned for the future include stronger bitters, a mild, a porter and some seasonal ales.

Beer from the wood

Something is stirring down in the woods at Blackberry Hill near Bristol. Is it some rare form of wildlife? No, it’s a mash tun. In fact, it’s Arbor Ales brewery.

As the clever clogs among you may have already spotted, the moniker is taken from the Latin for tree and was adopted by Paul and Jonathan Cromer to reflect the unusual wooden pump clips they have created for their beers. A case of putting the clip before the ale so to speak.

The brothers took over the Old Tavern on the Trendlewood Park Estate in February with a scheme to build on Jonathan’s long home brew experience and start brewing in an old garage and storeroom. Paul has twenty years’ experience in the licensed trade and catering while his brother recently took voluntary redundancy as an IT network engineer.

And although it may be a bit of a two-and-a-half barrel sapling at present the pair plan to grow a sturdy oak. First attempt at an IPA didn't work out so became Knot IPA (5% ABV) which will be brewed occasionally along with Slumberjack (6% ABV), a 'liquorice style bitter'.

The regular brews Trendlewood Bitter (4%) a‘golden fruity ale’ and Old Knobbly (4.5%) ‘deep ruby best bitter’ are being sold in their pub but swops are being arranged with Westbury Ales (from whence the plant was obtained) and they are expecting to be supplying other local pubs soon while wholesaler Boggart is also showing an interest in taking it further afield.

Blond Witch Beauty

What a chore it was to find myself in Clitheroe on a sunny June morning with the enchanting Moorhouse's 'witches,' Leanne and Helen (below left), to launch Blond Witch in a bottle.

Heralded by town crier Roland Hailwood the event certainly livened up this Lancashire market town at the heart of Pendle Witch country, from where the Burnley brewery draws inspiration for its award winning beers.

Regular visitors to Harkers will have sampled this gorgeous pale golden brew- described as 'light as lager without the bubbles'- from the cask over the past couple of years. It's much loved by beer buyer Dave and flies over the bar there, he tells me. Moorhouse's MD David Grant, pictured looking very happy with the girls, says that it is the fastest growing brand as the demand for paler beers continues to grow. And it claimed a gold medal in class and a bronze overall at the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) Northern Conference Awards last year, as well as picking up several CAMRA festival gongs in its short life.

Brewed with Fuggles hops the bottled version is the same strength as the cask, 4.5% ABV, and is just as distinctive and citrusy delicious. It will be joining Pendle Witches Brew and Black Cat bottled beers in good beer shops in the North West over the next few weeks. So, while you may have to wait a little while to sample the beer, I thought the very least I could do was to adorn the blog with the best looking witches that I've seen for quite a few hundred years. Oh, the lot of a beer writer.

Note: The picture on the right is a completely gratuitous flashback to the original launch of Blond Witch cask two years ago. Well, I just thought it was well worth sharing with you!

Colourful brewery champion calls for more quality - Wye Valley Brewery

Peter Amor, the new chairman of SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers), has a penchant for flamboyancy in his choice of wide brimmed hats and gaily coloured clothing.

It gives him a certain raffish quality. But it certainly isn’t all froth and no substance with Peter. Just like the beer he cradled when we met - Dorothy Good body’s Wholesome Stout – the founder/chairman of Wye Valley Brewery is a formidable ‘brew’. He once abandoned SIBA altogether, in a dispute over its Labour Party support but today is back at the top of an organisation that is now a real force to be reckoned with as it champions independent brewers. Membership grows year-on-year and even Fuller’s, a little controversially, has now joined - although 72 per cent of members still brew less than 30 barrels a week.

“I came back because I love the cask ale industry and I think it has a terrific future if we all work together and produce quality beer,” declares Peter as he savoured his favourite tipple.

Persuaded to rejoin by ex president Carola Brown of Ballard’s Brewery he took over the chair from Titanic’s Keith Bott, at the annual conference. There he passionately pledged to see SIBA become an ever more powerful force in the brewing industry, giving more help to the burgeoning membership and fighting their corner on key issues such as Progressive Beer Duty (PBD), the tax relief for small brewers, and routes to market.

From super brewer to micro

Experience, he says, it what he brings to the table. And with a long, varied career in the brewing industry under his belt - from super brewer to micro- the former grammar school boy from Ilford, Essex, has that in buckets.

Foregoing university, Peter started out with Guinness at Park Royal and a post in the lab, due to his interest in sciences, before becoming an under brewer and then going into the distribution department to direct the delivery of the black stuff throughout the country.

Then, tiring of London, he moved on to Bulmer’s in Hereford to work on transport for a couple of years. With both operations now deceased, Peter has a self-deprecating jibe against himself “every where I have been has closed,” he jokes.

On leaving Bulmer’s after four years he moved to Retford to develop Abbey Brewery with his friend and ex-Whitbread brewer Peter Shepherd. But in 1985 he bought his partner out and moved back to Hereford, whereupon the Wye Valley Brewery was born behind the Nag’s Head at Canon Pryor. Later it moved to outbuildings at the Lamb, Hereford – a ‘run down cider pub’ owned by Whitbread who gave permission to brew. Now reincarnated as the Barrels it’s a thriving cask ale house selling the Wye Valley beer range and micro guests.

Ideal model

Five years ago the brewery once again relocated, spending the best part of £1m to move to a nine acre site that was the erstwhile home to Symonds Cider at Stoke Lacy in the heart the rolling Herefordshire countryside. And on my recent visit this brewery was very much open for business and on the brink of record output. In fact SIBA’s new leader could be said to have created the ideal business model to inspire today’s fledgling craft brewers.

Following the move, Wye Valley went from brewing 110 barrels a week in a seven day operation to 140 barrels over four days a week. Since then output has grown exponentially and was set to hit the record 340 barrels in the week following my visit in April. Substantial investment has been made, helped by Progressive Beer Duty which came in just after move. It now boasts six fermenting vessels, ranging from 20bl to 80bl – and two more 80bls fvs were due in May.

A new Microdat cask washer has been fitted at a cost of £120,000 that will process 120 barrels per hour and a ‘self emptying’ mash tun has allowed speeded up the brewing process.

This has all been underpinned by strong brand development and a commitment to quality that Peter, his son Vernon - now the managing director who learned his craft with Ken Don at Young’s- and head brewer Jimmy Swan will never compromise on.

Back wearing his SIBA hat Peter is adamant: “Quality is paramount. We have got to assist all brewers to maintain the highest quality product. I only want to see quality cask ale out there.”

He points to the success of his own beers as proof of the pudding. Last year, he proudly states, core brews HPA (4%) and Butty Bach (4.5%) took a raft of awards from the CAMRA West Midlands branch and also claimed a bronze for HPA (Hereford Pale Ale) in SIBA’s own National Beer Competition. Along with Wye Valley Bitter (3.7%), HPA and Butty Bach are the best sellers in the core beer range.

Gorgeous blonde

Another plank of the success story was the introduction of a second strong brand image within the portfolio: enter the delightful Dorothy Goodbody and her delicious selection of ales in cask and bottle including Golden Ale (4.2%), County Ale (6%) and, of course. the award winning Wholesome Stout (4.6%) together with regular special brews. Through an entertaining series of tall stories this rather gorgeous blonde has become a legendary figure, but of course is a totally mythical creation.

The tale began 15 years ago with the launch of Dorothy Goodbody Old Comfort Stout. Peter says: “Dorothy was a complete figment of the imagination when we were looking to launch a stout. But beer is a fun product and we went with it. Today, perhaps showing a bit more leg, she is still with us creating a great talking point.”
Dorothy can be can be found sitting on Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s beer shelves.

These days there’s a five strong sales and deliveries are made to pubs within 60 miles of the brewery while beer also goes out through the SIBA Direct Delivery Scheme and HPA is supplied to Enterprise Inns in the Midlands, South Wales and southern England via Scottish & Newcastle.

Meanwhile, Peter takes a back seat from the brewery. But he enjoys the business so much that he still lives ‘over the shop’ at the Barrels. In the heart of Hereford City, this is a terrific showcase for Wye Valley and guest ales from other independent brewers. Another thriving brewery pub is the Rose & Lion – the ‘Rosie’ at Bromyard.

From the Barrels Peter is working on the next strategic move for SIBA. For him there are three major tenets for the organisation’s work with the membership: help to keep quality high; help them find their markets; help them in accession planning ‘we must ensure that the new breweries will carry on when the founders retire’.

He refutes the criticisms that PBD has harmed the industry by allowing inexperienced brewers to make fast buck and insists it has been used for the right reasons, to help brewers grow their businesses. But, he warns, new brewers have to be nurtured and points to a new training programme being set up with the IBD (Institute of Brewing & Distilling) to help in this area.

“Without a doubt the independents have made the regional brewers wake and brought a new vibrancy back into the market. There’s tremendous enthusiasm out there but it still needs training and guidance and help with business planning. But I believe that by working together and keeping the quality right the cask ale market will grow.”