SOUTH Yorkshire’s Acorn Brewery is celebrating another top national accolade on the eve of its first beer festival at the brewery tap – Barnsley’s Old No 7 pub.

The Wombwell brewer’s Gorlovka Imperial Stout was declared among the UK’s top beers at the Camra National Winter Ales festival in Manchester – claiming a bronze award in its class.

This week the premium ale features in a four-day festival at the Market Hill pub, launched by beer writer Roger Protz at noon on Thursday February 2.

Gorlovka will be among more than 20 cask-conditioned ales plus continental bottled beers, ciders and craft keg beers.

Tonight at 7.30pm, Roger, editor of the annual Camra Good Beer Guide, will lead a tutored tasting.

Tickets are £20 per person from the Old No 7. Beer festival entry is free.

Managing director Dave Hughes said: “The year has begun very well for us with this top award for Gorlovka at the National Winter Ales Festival. It is a timely win as we prepare to hold our own beer festival to not only showcase our own beers but also feature award-winning beers from many other top craft brewers.”

“We aim to make the Old No 7 a top destination pub for cask ales.”

Read about the philosophy, brewer and units of alcohol on the pumpclips Pennine Brewery (5mb)

Just three years old this month, Ilkley Brewery is one of three Yorkshire companies to win the Government-backed Local Business Accelerators campaign to find the region’s most promising young companies.

The spa town brewery, along with Leeds-based Liquid Voice and Huddersfield’s Proper Maid, wins a substantial amount of free advertising in the Yorkshire Post and mentoring from top business figures in the region.

Speaking about the brewery’s win, Chris Ives, co-founder of Ilkley Brewery, said: “This is such a tremendous accolade and we are all thrilled to be one of the region’s top young businesses. The Yorkshire Post received 52 entries from businesses across Yorkshire so the competition has been tough but it is great that our hard work and dedication has been recognised by such an esteemed panel of judges.”

The Yorkshire judging panel consisted of Paul Ayre, managing partner of Leeds and Bradford-based law firm Gordons LLP, Kevin Hollinrake, managing director of Hunters Property Group, John Tordoff, managing director of JCT600 motor group and Bernard Ginns, the Yorkshire Post’s business editor.

JCT600’s John Tordoff will provide three months of mentoring to Ilkley Brewery. Mr Tordoff commented: “In just three years The Ilkley Brewery has really established itself by displaying true Yorkshire grit and an entrepreneurial spirit second to none.”

Stewart Ross, Ilkley Brewery’s co-founder, added: “In 2009, we never imagined we would be brewing 30,000 pints a week three years down the line. Throughout this time, we have developed our craft, listened to our customers and grown the business accordingly. Recognition like this really bolsters our successes and opens up fantastic opportunities.”

In addition to the free advertising and mentoring, the Business Growth Fund, a £2.5 billion equity investment capital fund backed by five of the largest banks in the UK, is offering winners a free half-day workshop. All three companies will now go on to the national final, the winner of which will receive a year’s mentoring from Deborah Meaden, the Dragon’s Den investor.

Message from the PM

The Local Business Accelerators campaign is backed by Prime Minister David Cameron, the Confederation of British Industry and the Bank of England. Mr Cameron offered his congratulations to the winning businesses: “It’s brilliant that so many promising young companies, from such a wide range of sectors, are benefitting from this excellent initiative.

“Entrepreneurship, creativity and ambition are essential for our economic recovery and through Local Business Accelerators, newspapers such as the Yorkshire Post are supporting some great new British businesses to grow, and helping to boost their local economy.

“I wish the newspapers, businesses and their mentors every success over the coming months.”

To find out more about Ilkley Brewery, visit: www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk or to read the brewery’s blog, go to: www.ilkleybreweryblog.blogspot.com

EAST Lancashire brewery Moorhouse’s has hailed a ‘landmark year’ which has seen sales rocket after an expansion to their premises.

Sales increased 52 per cent in December to record levels, coming after a £4.2m expansion plan which tripled production capacity to 15 million pints of real ale per year.

Moorhouse’s, who are based in Accrington Road, Burnley, credited the increase in sales and turnover to newly negotiated business arrangements with national pub companies.

Moorhouse’s brands, which include Premier Bitter. Pendle Witches and Black Cat are now sold as guest cask ales in establishments run by pub giants Wetherspoon’s. Enterprise and Punch.

For the full story go to: Lancashire Telegraph

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Chris Ives, Richard Shelton and Stewart Ross

With sales up over 100 per cent and production levels five times what they were in 2010, Ilkley Brewery is celebrating a third year of growth as it looks ahead to a fourth, prosperous year.

As its momentous year comes to a close, Ilkley Brewery revealed last week that it has made Yorkshire’s final shortlist in the Local Business Accelerators campaign which champions dynamic fledging enterprises less than three years old. The overall winner of the national campaign, whose ambassador is Dragons’ Den’s Deborah Meaden, will be announced in January and will receive a year’s mentoring from Deborah and an advertising campaign by a top London agency.

BREWING SUCCESS

Having only brewed its first firkin in 2009, the Yorkshire-based brewery moved into a new 2,600 square foot brew house in March this year enabling it to instantly increase capacity by 100 per cent. With the addition of a new 1,100 gallon fermentor in October, the brewery now produces over 33,000 pints a week, 10,000 more than it did in March.

“The rate at which the brewery has continued to grow this year has been astonishing,” said Chris Ives, one of the brewery’s three directors. “Levels of demand have been higher than we envisaged meaning the fifth fermentor was a must if we were to deliver on every order. It’s been a fast-paced but exciting year which will put us on a front foot for 2012.”

As well as increasing its production levels and sales, Ilkley Brewery has also added four full time members of staff to the team, including Luke Raven who has been appointed to develop the brewery’s newest beer range, MJ Artisan Ales, which was launched in November.

A WIN WIN SITUATION

Adding to its already burgeoning awards collection, Ilkley Brewery also scooped seven awards for its flavour-filled beers this year. In October, the brewery’s full bodied oatmeal stout, Stout Mary, won silver at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Northern Region Beer Competition; its fifth SIBA award since January 2009.

There were also wins at the Clifford Champion Beer Festival in Leeds, Guiseley Factory Workers Beer Festival, Horsforth Beer Festival and Clitheroe Beer Festival. The brewery’s flagship beer, Mary Jane, also won Beer of the Year at the Muse pub in Wetherby.

2011 was also a year of firsts for Ilkley Brewery. In May, the brewery made its music festival debut by supplying beer at the Switched On festival in Leeds and in July, it pulled pints at the Deer Shed Festival in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire.

June saw the brewery launch its first monthly Beer Society. Throughout the summer, hundreds of local beers fans gathered at the brewery to take a look behind the scenes and be the first to sample its new creations including favourites like Ilkley Summer, Ilkley IXB and Tap 3.

“When we started the brewery, we wanted to make good beers that our customers enjoyed. We hope we have achieved that and in 2012, we plan to build upon the knowledge we have gained over the last three years and brew really creative, innovative new beers to tempt the palates of all beer fans,” said Richard Shelton, one of the brewery’s directors.

“We are planning to unveil at least six new beers in 2012 and also hope to continue developing our craft beers, including MJ Artisan Ales, to target bars, restaurants and hotels which will help bring our products to new and more diverse audiences.”

Ilkley Brewery will also continue its involvement with Goldman Sachs’ pilot 10,000 Small Businesses Programme which has already enabled the business to team up with other leading producers and suppliers in the region.

To find out more about Ilkley Brewery, visit: www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk or to read the brewery’s blog, go to: www.ilkleybreweryblog.blogspot.com

A BIRKENHEAD brewery has triumphed at the North’s leading beer contest.

Peerless Brewing Company scooped four top accolades for its newly launched bottled range at the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) Great Northern Beer Festival – to mark a very happy second birthday for the Pool Street brewery.

Fledgling brew Jinja Ninja was first voted gold in its class of speciality bottled ales before being hailed as Champion Bottled Beer of the North. The beer is brewed with root ginger, chillies and lemons and described as ‘delicious golden ginger beer with a fiery finish’. It will now be judged at the SIBA National Competition next year.

Earlier, in the golden ales category, Hilbre Gold took first place while sister brew Viking Gold won silver.

SIBA represents more than 500 UK craft brewers while the north is the society’s largest region. The competition attracted more than 300 entries across cask beer and bottled categories.

Head brewer and managing director Steve Briscoe says: “It was amazing. At the presentation I lost track of what we were winning. The win comes just in time to celebrate our second birthday – and we will certainly be doing that in style this year. The North region is the largest of the SIBA regions and we take great pride in this win for three beers in our recently launched bottled range. It is a major boost to our plans to grow business in the off-trade sector as we enter our third year of trading.

“Now we go on to the national stage in the final next spring. Jinja Ninja is a fun beer we rolled out first as cask ale only this year and has proved an excellent addition to our range.”

The awards round off an excellent second year of trading for Peerless. With a 40% boost in brewing capacity earlier this year, sales have risen by some 30 per cent in recent months as the brewery wins new business, despite the harsh economic climate.

Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-life/restaurants-pubs-bars/2011/12/01/birkenhead-brewery-wins-top-awards-100252-29874959/#ixzz1fIHSApD9

Paul Bellinger recieves the award from Keith Bott Chairman of SIBA

AN AWARD-WINNING brewery near Bridlington has landed a top industry prize at the Society of independent Brewers (SIBA) Business Awards last week.

Wold Top Brewery, based in Wold Newton, picked up the award for Best Design Concept for its new look labels, pumpclips, gift packs and marketing materials.

The award comes just weeks after the brewery’s success in the Yorkshire Post Taste Awards and the SIBA Great Northern Beer Competition.

Gill Mellor, who is responsible for marketing at the brewery, said: “This is a great result for us. With our creative partner, Carrot Juice, we worked hard on the rebranding and on the nomination for best design concept and it’s fantastic to win public recognition from our peers and industry experts.”

Wold Top Brewery was established in 2003 out of a need to diversify from farming and uses the farm’s own barley and chalk filtered water to produce ales.

The brewery employs 11 staff and distributes to retailers and pubs throughout Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

SIBA was founded in 1980 and currently has over 500 members mostly classed as ‘micro’ or ‘local’ brewers.

The SIBA Brewing Business Awards are now in their sixth year and celebrate the business development skills and entrepreneurial flair of SIBA’s members.

Article Taken from Bridlington Free Press

Patsy and John Slevin at the Wigan Business Awards

The malty milestones keep coming for Wigan’s Prospect Brewery.

The malty milestones keep coming for Wigan’s Prospect Brewery.

Last year characterful Nutty Slack was named the North’s best mild beer.
This month brewster patsy Slevin’s four hop-packed pint Whatever! earned a silver medal in the standard bitter class of the same SIBA competition.

And on top of the company celebrating its millionth pint, it also has the Small to Medium Enterprise of the Year Award at the Wigan Business awards to add to its trophy cabinet.

It is a far cry from the company’s humble beginnings brewing in a second hand plant in her late mum-in-law’s garage.
The Business Awards judging panel was impressed by Prospect’s “innovation, expertise and imagination” along with the “solid vision” they have for the future growth of the company.

Husband John said this was a particularly special occasion because it was the first time they had been recognised for running an enterprise rather than making good beer. “It is very reassuring to know we can do both” he said.