Ashley Howard (left) and Brian Deakin raising a glass to the reborn Sun Inn

Familiar faces from the 1970s and 80s were back behind the bar as Titanic Brewery celebrated the opening of the Sun Inn, Stafford.

Former landlords Ashley Howard, 79, and Brian Deakin, 76, jointly pulled a celebratory first pint to mark the rebirth of the Sun.

The historic town centre pub was a favourite destination for pub-goers for decades but has been shut in recent times after an attempt to run it as a wine bar.

Staffordshire based Titanic Brewery bought the building earlier this year and has restored it as a traditional style pub.

Brian Deakin, of Weeping Cross, Stafford, licensee from 1975 until 1994, said: “Titanic has done a wonderful job. The alterations have been carried-out in a very tasteful way and I wish the pub every success for the future.”

Keith Bott, Managing Director of Titanic Brewery, paid his own tribute to Mr Howard and Mr Deakin.

“These are guys who ran proper pubs and, as a brewery and an industry, we would like to see more proper pubs opening in future years,” said Mr Bott.

Titanic Brewery, based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, is run by brothers Keith and Dave Bott who were brought up in Stafford.

The brewery has bucked the national trend of closures in recent years to open four new pubs since 2007.

Keith declared the opening of the Sun as a special day as it was among the first town centre pubs he visited as a young man.

Around 20 new full and part time jobs have been created as a result of the Sun Inn’s revival.

And the pub is among the first in the UK to use cutting edge equipment to chill its beer and provide heat for customers.

The Geo Bar heat recovery system takes excess heat created by pubs’ chilling equipment – which is usually expelled outside the building and lost - and uses it to heat water, either for direct use or in the heating system.

As well as saving money on energy bills, the Sun Inn will save 34,230kg of C02 emissions every year - the equivalent of 750 journeys from Stafford to London and back in a family car, or planting eight football pitches of rain forest.

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Last night saw the annual All Party Parliamentary Beer Dinner where the UK Brewer of the Year accolade is announced. Stefano Cossi of Thornbridge Brewery was named Brewer of the Year 2010 as recommended by the Institute of Brewing and Distilling.

Cossi has been with Thornbridge Brewery since it began brewing in 2004 and heads up a diverse team of international brewers. Known for his use of novel ingredients and processes and exacting approach with regards to quality control and ingredients, it is a well deserved accolade for the young Italian.
Hailing from the North-east of Italy, where he studied a degree in Food Science, Cossi has managed to amalgamate the scientific approach that is essential for brewing with both flair and creativity for developing great tasting beers.

Jim Harrison, Thornbridge Director sums it up, “Well deserved for Stef, but also to everyone at Thornbridge for the amazing teamwork that allows us to compete at this level”.

It was Stefano’s involvement with the development of the new purpose built site at the Riverside Estate in Bakewell that helped him clinch the coveted title. “For someone to have the vision to develop such a state-of-the-art brewery as ours is awesome,” says Kelly Ryan, Brewery Manager. “Winning this on the back of three medals in the Great Taste Awards, a national SIBA champion trophy, our International Beer Challenge medals and a World Beer Cup award is turning 2010 into a phenomenal year.”

Thornbridge will be showcasing their beers at the Great British Beer Festival 3-7th August at Earls Court. For more information see www.gbbf.camra.org.uk

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Warwickshire’s Purity Brewing Co. has drafted in Richard Davies as its new Sales Manager.

Richard has been tasked with increasing sales of Purity’s award-winning ales, along with its range of imported beers, in the Midlands. His core areas of focus will be to grow and support the free trade, as well as bolster the brewery’s stockists within M&B, Punch Taverns and JD Wetherspoons.

The 35-year-old from Birmingham comes to Purity with an impressive sales background, including working for the likes of Coca Cola, Philips Electronics and Adnams, the Southwold-based brewer. Richard’s previous roles also included sales trainer for Philips and business relationship manager for Punch Taverns.

He said: “Purity is a successful and vibrant company so I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in and helping to grow the business, as well as build successful and long term relationships with new and existing clients.”

Paul Halsey, Purity MD said: “Rich will make a great addition to our team. He’s passionate about premium ales and is someone I can rely on to drive our sales. On the downside he is a Birmingham City fan, but I guess no one is perfect.”

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The outside of the Hook Norton brewery is back to normal as the work to replace the roof above the coppers has been completed and the scaffolding has been taken down.

The end of the restoration work, is good news for the many visitors who want to take a pictures of the historic Victorian Tower brewery as the listed building now look much as it did when it was opened in 1895.

The essential work had to be undertaken once it was discovered much of the woodwork in the roof of the Victorian tower brewery needed replacing.

Tours of the brewery have to booked in advance and take place at 9.30am, 11.00am and 2.30pm on Monday- Friday. Saturday 10.30am and 2.30pm. Each tour takes about two hours and includes a tasting of Hook Norton beers. Tours cost £9.50 per person.

The Brewery Visitors Centre, Brewery Lane, Hook Norton OX15 5NY is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5.00pm and on Saturdays from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

For information on the Hook Norton Visitor Centre or to book a tour of the brewery contact Richard Hughes on 01608 730384 or go to www.hooky.co.uk. Email: vc@Hook-Norton-Brewery.co.uk.

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Beer and food evening at Hook Norton

The Hook Norton Brewery in North Oxfordshire is hosting a tasting of its ales with a hog roast on Saturday 24 July at 6.45pm for 7pm start.

The pig is being prepared and spit-roasted by Kench Butchers from Chipping Norton.

Visitor Centre Manager Richard Hughes said: “The evening is the perfect opportunity to sample beers from Hook Norton’s range of award wining beers and learn a little about why they are so special. The evening also gives us an opportunity to show that Hook Norton beers are drinks of some sophistication, with a greater range of colours and flavours than wine. We believe our beers are perfect for partnering with many foods.”

“The tasting includes Haymaker, at 5 per cent ABV, a clear, golden, summer ale, with a refreshing aroma and taste. Brewed from a blend of Maris Otter Pale Ale and Cara pils malts and a mix of Fuggles, Goldings and Challenger hops, its aroma is beautifully fragrant and fruity, featuring grapefruit, tangerine and peach. The quality and depth of its taste should make it an ideal accompaniment to the sweet flavour of the roasted meat” he said.

Entrance is by ticket only, which can be purchased in advance for £10.00 from the Visitor Centre. To make a booking call 01608 730384 or pop in to the Hook Norton Brewery Visitor Centre.

The price of admission includes a tutored tasting of Hook Norton’s award winning ales, then a portion of roasted hog and two halves of Hooky beer of your choice.

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The Lymestone Brewery on Mount Road, Stone, Staffordshire has taken another step in its support of the local area by placing bee hives on the Brewery roof. This will help boost the dwindling population of honey bees and in turn allow honey to be gathered. The honey will be used to create a seasonal honey beer which will be distributed to customers in the local area.

The Bees which arrived last week have already settled in and are producing honey. The honey will be collected later in the year and used to create a genuinely refreshing and different beer - the company’s first honey beer. With local bee keeper Lee Spensley providing technical assistance, we now have the resources to make sure the bees get all the help they need. 

The honey bees are a further example of the brewery investing in the community. The Lymestone Brewery supports work placement opportunities for local schools. The Head Brewer is mentor of the Alleyne’s High School’s 6^th form Applied Science class. The Brewery also sponsored the Alleyne’s High School award for Achievement which was awarded to student Maddie Parkin in April 2010.

The Lymestone Brewery is committed to using local suppliers wherever possible and has signed up to the 10:10 national energy saving initiative championed by local MP Joan Walley.

As the brewery grows in size it is important that we maintain both our ties with the local area and that of the environment. The symbiotic relationship with the honey bees on our roof is further proof that here at the Lymestone Brewery we aim to carry on working hard for a sustainable and successful future in partnership with the community.

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Warwickshire’s Purity Brewing Co. is calling on the region’s music lovers to head over to Birmingham’s Moseley Park this weekend for the first-ever Mostly Jazz Festival (3rd – 4th July).

Purity will be the event’s official drinks supplier, serving both cask and bottles of its three award-winning beers, Mad Goose, Pure UBU and Pure Gold, plus Veltins Pilsner and Bernard Lager from its eclectic imported range, ensuring visitors don’t get thirsty while enjoying the musical delights of contemporary jazz, funk and soul.

Premiering this year, the Mostly Jazz Festival is the UK’s only, one site open-air music festival dedicated entirely to jazz, funk and soul music. Craig Charles, presenter of the BBC 6 Music’s Funk and Soul Show, will lead the proceedings on Saturday as festival compere and DJ-ing at the official after-party.

Set in picturesque surroundings, the festival will feature an eclectic mix of up and coming talent performing alongside headline acts, Sun Ra Arkestra, Courtney Pine, and Quantic and his Combo Barbaro.

In addition to the music, there will also be a third stage featuring spoken word with performances from the likes of nationally renowned Polarbear, former Birmingham poet laureate Dreadlockalien, and the award-winning Luke Kennard.

Paul Halsey, Purity’s Managing Director, said: “I’m really looking forward to being part of the first ever Mostly Jazz Festival. The Purity brand has been created to be fresh, funky and innovative, just like the music and artists featuring at the event. Great music and premium beers are a first class combination. Lets just hope the sun shines on us this weekend.”

Charlotte Payne, the festival’s Press Officer, added: “Mostly Jazz is about showcasing the diversity of contemporary jazz in all its forms, from avant-garde, free and modern jazz through to vocal, song-based jazz, jazz-fusion and future jazz. It’s also about considering jazz’s influence and relationship to other black music art-forms such as Latin music, funk and soul.

“Mostly Jazz will be a relaxed and fun event, so it’s great to have Purity on board as it’s a brand that will fit in very well with the festival’s atmosphere.”

Visit http://www.mostlyjazz.co.uk/home to find out more information about the festival.

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(l-r) Bread and Bitter regulars, Helen Wade and Nigel Woollen, with deputy manager, John Francis, and manager, James Halfpenny in the ‘snug cellar’ created to hold the racks of casks.

Bread and Bitter customers have drunk the house dry in the pub’s first Bank Holiday beer festival. From Thursday 27 May, nearly 3,000 pints of 40 guest real ales from 29 separate breweries were consumed by the hundreds who visited the pub on Nottingham’s Mapperley Top.

Deputy manager and festival organiser, John Francis, says this total doesn’t include the sales of the pub’s regular ales from Fuller’s, Castle Rock and Batemans. “First to go were locally brewed beers including Mallard’s Duck ‘n’ Dive. All have a well deserved loyal following,” he says. “Copper Dragon brewery’s Golden Pippin, was the surprise favourite of the first day as it too was soon supped dry.

“Now we’re faced with calls to make this more regular than the annual event planned,” says John.

Beers for the festival were chosen by ballot with regulars invited to pick their favourite real ales from the possible 4,000 available from the UK’s 700 or so real ale breweries.

“As a free house, we’re among the few that can really pick whatever the customer wants. Even now, there’s loads to go at as we’ve only used one tenth of one per cent of what’s on offer,” says John.

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Purity Brewing Co. is looking to draw on the knowledge of its Twitter followers to help it win new contracts.

Purity wants its followers to contact the brewery via the popular micro-blogging site and recommend off-trade and on-trade locations they think Purity’s ales should be sold. These could be traditional real ale pubs, bars, hip city centre cafés, or even theatres and event venues.

In return, Purity will offer a case of ale to any Twitter follower whose recommendation leads to a new contract being signed. Currently, Purity has almost 1,000 Twitter followers.

Earlier this year, the independent Warwickshire brewery won contracts at two Birmingham venues – the coffee shop, Urban Coffee Co, and The Electric Cinema – after a number of Twitter users posted tweets recommending Purity’s ales be sold there.

Paul Halsey, Purity’s managing director, said: “In the past year, we’ve been really successful using social media to raise our brand profile, encourage more people to try our ales and win new contracts.

“While our three award-winning ales are today sold in over 400 on-trade and off-trade premises in the Midlands, London and East Anglia, I’m keen to take things to the next level and I really think our Twitter followers can help.”

The campaign’s full terms and conditions can be viewed on the Purity website – http://www.puritybrewing.com/news.cfm

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