Sir Gerry Robinson, one of the UK’s most respected entrepreneurs is prepared to risk millions of his own money to help troubled businesses. To begin, two breweries pitch to him, but which will he save?
Channel 4, Thu 2 July, 9pm.
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With June on the way out, Wye Valley Brewery prepares to launch Butty Bee, their monthly beer offering for July 2009.
The 2009 monthly beer calendar has proved popular so far and has included some new brews, such as nettle beer Summer Stinger, and Hazy Daisy a pale golden wheat beer.
Butty Bee, as the name implies, is the popular Butty Bach with a hint of honey from Herefordshire bees. The beer will be gold in colour and a little stronger than the original Butty Bach at 5.0%.
The honey was sourced from Peter and Marion Guthrie & Bees who have apiaries at Kinnersley and Morehampton, Herefordshire. Peter is an award-winning beekeeper, and beekeeping has been in his family for 107 years. Peter has 150 hives, with approximately 60,000 to 80,000 bees per hive. These hives will usually yield 5 tonnes of honey per year, however, in recent years the bad weather has prevented bees from foraging for nectar, and there has been a shortage of honey.
Jimmy Swan and Peter Guthrie
However, 2009 is looking better and with the best spring since 2002 this year’s honey production looks promising.
Said Peter Guthrie, ‘We are delighted to be in a position to supply local honey to the head brewer at Wye Valley Brewery, and we are pleased for Wyefield Apiaries to be associated with this special brew of Butty Bee’.
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The results are now available on the beer compeitions website. Just click the box in the header.
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THE Orkney Brewery has secured a historic double, taking both first and second place in the prestigious Champion Beer of Scotland competition, being held in Edinburgh today (Thursday, 25 June).
The brewery’s 3.8 per cent Raven Ale won the overall title of Champion Beer, with its 4.0 per cent Red MacGregor ale placing second. The competition forms part of the Scottish Real Ale Festival, currently underway in the capital.
Norman Sinclair, managing director of the Orkney Brewery’s parent company, Sinclair Breweries Ltd, said: “We’re absolutely overwhelmed by this result. This is the first time the brewery has taken the two top spots in this important event, so we’re ecstatic. Our beers were up against some very stiff competition and subjected to what is a rigorous judging process, but their taste and quality have shone through and done us proud.”
Mr Sinclair, who has just returned from a promotional tour of Boston and New York, added: “It’s a historic day for all of us at the company and couldn’t have come at a better time. We’ll shortly be commencing with a major expansion of the Orkney Brewery, so this success is a very nice way to celebrate the start of this latest phase in our development.”
The redevelopment of the brewery, set to begin in the autumn, will see capacity greatly increased and visitor facilities improved.
“We’ve been working tirelessly for the past three years to bring our redevelopment project to fruition and I’m delighted to report that everything is now in place,” added Mr Sinclair. “The brewery is going from strength to strength, despite these difficult economic times, and we look forward to building on today’s success and maintaining Orkney’s reputation for quality.”
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A growing number of communities are refusing to stand by and watch their pubs go out of business. Claire Dodd looks at the villagers who are doing it for themselves
http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=6&storycode=64287
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Nine categories available for independent brewers
Entries are now being sought for the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) business awards.
The winners will be announced this October, in nine categories including Best Customer Support, Best Innovation, Best Promotion and, new this year, Best Environmental Initiative.
Julian Grocock, SIBA chief executive, said: “The Business Awards are a great showcase for the entrepreneurial talent that is driving the success of the local brewing sector, which is showing growth despite the current downturn in total beer sales.
“Many skills are needed to run a successful brewery. Making great beer is one of them, but the awards entries also demonstrate our members’ flair for innovation, marketing, design and customer service.
“The number and standard of entries has risen steadily over the last few years and we’re anticipating some difficult decisions at the judging stage.”
Taken from The Publican http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=7&storycode=64261&c=1
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Hook Norton appoints Jonathan Paveley as Non Executive Chairman
The Board of the Hook Norton Brewery has appointed Jonathan Paveley, aged 45, as its Non-Executive Chairman
Mr Paveley was formerly commercial director of Punch Taverns, where he worked for five years.
He joined Punch from Greene King, where he was for eight years strategy director, responsible for corporate and commercial strategy and purchasing.
Hook Norton Managing Director James Clarke said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us. As a local, family brewer with a national reputation, to have Jonathan’s experience, at time when others in the brewing and pub industry are struggling, can only be good for the Hook Norton Brewery.”
Jonathan Paveley said: “Hook Norton has a formidable reputation for the excellence of its beers, the loyalty of its staff and the quality of its pubs and the independent business people – the tenants – who are running them.
“I am delighted to be joining James Clarke and his team at Hook Norton. The business is high quality and I look forward to working with the company on its exciting plans for the future at this time of great opportunity.”
“I look forward to working with the Board to ensure this family company continues to prosper.”
Mr Paveley is married with three children and lives near Honiton in Devon.
The appointment follows the tragic death of Richard Gilchrist in a riding accident in January.
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A positive initial meeting of key trade bodies, pubcos, regional brewers and other interested parties was held today at Francis Taylor Building in the Inner Temple. Attending for the industry were representatives from:
Adnams, Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, APPBG, British Beer & Pub Association, BII [British Institute of Innkeeping], CAMRA, Fair Pint, Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations, Federation of Small Businesses, Guild of Master Victuallers, Justice for Licensees, Marstons, Punch Taverns, Society of Independent Brewers, and Unite the Union.
The aim of the meeting was to explore ways that Mediation might be used to develop an industry wide response to the issues raised by the recent Business and Enterprise Select Committee report.
The meeting explored the background to these issues, the benefits of mediation as a process and gave the chance for those present to express their views.
It was agreed that Mediation appeared to offer a viable route to bring about change within the industry and those attending committed to move to the next stage at a meeting to be held in three weeks time on 9 July.
Afterwards, Jeremy Phillips, who chaired the meeting, said, “This has been an encouraging initial meeting which addressed many historic problems in a constructive manner. Everybody present recognised the difficulties that we face, but saw the use of mediation as an entirely appropriate way to try to resolve industry issues ‘in house’. I am looking forward to the next stage of the process”
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WINNERS! Simon Deeble and his grandfather Hugh Pearce, who submitted the winning name, “Black Rock Wrecker”, for the new beer launched jointly by the Falmouth Beach Hotel and Skinners Brewery of Truro
The Falmouth Beach Hotel held a competition for its name and logo when it joined forces with Truro-based Skinners Brewery to launch the latest Cornish real ale.
“Black Rock Wrecker” was the name in the winning entry, which was described as a real family affair with input from seven people from Cornwall and further afield.
“Over the years, many a shipwrecked sailor has found safe refuge in the Black Rock’s cage whilst awaiting rescue,” explained Simon Deeble, who submitted the entry jointly with grandfather Hugh Pearce. “What would they have given for a pint of Black Rock Wrecker!”
The logo for the new beer, drawn by Simon, depicts a tall ship wrecked on the infamous rock, together with the Falmouth Beach parrot clinging to the rock for safety.
Simon Deeble and grandfather Hugh Pearce, central pair, with Zoe McEwen, marketing manager of the Falmouth Beach Hotel, and Stuart Hughes, senior sales representative with Skinners Brewery of Truro. Simon and Hugh submitted the winning name, “Black Rock Wrecker” for the new beer launched jointly by the hotel and brewery.
A copy of the final artwork for the logo – supplied by Skinners’ Barnabus design team – was part of the prize presented to Simon and Hugh in a grand family gathering at the hotel.
The pair also received an 18-pint polypin of Black Rock Wrecker, with Simon quipping: “It’s such a mouthful to say that you will easily be able to tell if a customer has had enough when they ask for another pint!”
Joining them for lunch in the hotel’s Feather’s Bar were Hugh’s wife Sheila and Simon’s other grandparents, Thelma and Russell Gay, and his parents, Diane and Matt Deeble, originally from Helston, who travelled down specially from West Sussex.
All his grandparents live in Truro and Simon, who grew up in the city, now works in London as a lawyer.
A member of CAMRA, he has travelled all over Europe in pursuit of his passion for real ale. “Cornwall is very similar to Belgium with a real growth of successful smaller independent brewers making some real quality local ales,” he commented.
The hotel received a diverse selection of entries to choose from with some interesting Cornish folk stories supporting the names and artwork submitted, with part of the entry fee going to Cornwall Hospice Care.
“BLACK ROCK WRECKER” – the winning name and logo for the new beer launched jointly by the Falmouth Beach Hotel and Skinners Brewery of Truro.
The idea for the new ale was prompted by the great interest shown in Cornish ales by the hotel’s guests and by CAMRA’s recent LocAle initiative promoting pubs stocking locally brewed real ale.
“We buy locally wherever possible and felt this was a great way of increasing our support for Cornish producers,” said hotel bar manager Travis Manning. “There is clearly a growing consumer demand for quality local produce along with the increased awareness of ‘green’ issues.”
Black Rock Wrecker is now on sale exclusively at the Falmouth Beach Hotel.
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