Burnley’s Moorhouse’s Brewery is celebrating after winning a top national award.

Its new £4.2m complex in Burnley was judged Best Business Development at the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) Business Awards.

The awards were open to more than 500 member brewers.

MD David Grant said: “We are very proud to bring this top business award to Burnley.

“This praise from our brewing peers ends our first year of trading on a very high note as we gain new sales and look forward to an exciting future.”

To read more go to:  Lancashiretelegraph.co.uk

MOORHOUSE’S Brewery has reported a 21% increase in sales for September and October – with a record breaking half a million pints of its ‘Pendle Witches’ cask ale sold for the Halloween season.

The Burnley brewer has plans to double its £3.5m turnover in the next two years, on the back of the completion of its new £4.2m brew-house last November, which has trebled former production capacity to 15 million pints a year.

For the full story go to:  thebusinessdesk.com

Burnley’s Moorhouse’s Brewery is celebrating after winning a top national award.

Its new £4.2m complex in Burnley was judged Best Business Development at the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) Business Awards.

The awards were open to more than 500 member brewers.

MD David Grant said: “We are very proud to bring this top business award to Burnley.

“This praise from our brewing peers ends our first year of trading on a very high note as we gain new sales and look forward to an exciting future.”

At the prestigious awards pres-entation in London, SIBA chief executive Julian Grocock said: “Within the world of British independent brewing, the judges could find no better example of exemplary business dev-elopment and no better statement of faith in and commitment to this manufacturing industry.

“Having a dream is one thing. Getting it backed by your board of directors is another.

“Seeing it brought to fruition is perhaps as good as it gets, but that’s what happened to the MD of Moorhouse’s.

“Creating their own buoyant ‘not-so-micro’ climate within the dismal one depressing the rest of the country meant spiralling sales at 17 per cent per year.”

The opening of the complex has seen the workforce doubled to more than 40.

It includes a high-tech visitor centre, with bar and restaurant, and premier training school.

Article taken from the Burnley Citizen

Richard Parker's new store in Beverley

IN THIS week’s Banffshire Journal we reveal how Banff whisky trader Richard Parker, alleged to be being pursued for a trail of debts running into many thousands pounds, has opened a new whisky store in Beverley, Yorkshire.

It is barely three months since Mr Parker (35) closed his former whisky and gift store in Low Street, Banff – leaving behind an alleged trail of debts.

Mr Parker’s brother and convicted fraudster, Alistair (30), has also opened a new store in Beverley.

Also alleged to owe many tens of thousands of pounds back in Banff, Alistair Parker saw his Sheiling Tor fish and chip shop in Fyvie go into liquidation less than a month ago.

He, like his brother, saw the mayor of Beverley, Peter Ansell, officially open a new store for him – a model trains and planes shop in the unit right next door to his brother’s new whisky outlet which specialises in bottles of rare malts worth up to £8,000 each.

Welcoming the Parkers, Mayor Ansell described them as “young entrepreneurs” in the local press.

However, a Banff businessmen who does not want named but says he has his lawyer pursuing the pair for many tens of thousands of pounds, took a different view.

“They have got an absolute cheek, but it doesn’t surprise me,” he told the Banffshire Journal this week.

Mr Parker’s disgruntled online customers from the likes of America, Australia and South Africa are now firing internet messages around the world warning whisky connoisseurs against dealing with him.

Article sent in by a SIBA Member taken from Banffshire Journal

An award-winning brewery is hoping to tap into a growing market of cask ale drinkers with the launch of a new range of beers.

Later this month, Ilkley Brewery will introduce three craft-kegged beers and increase their presence at pubs in West Yorkshire where products were previously unavailable.

The brews, called MJ Artisan Ales, will be unveiled at the North Bar in Leeds city centre, which did not have the space to serve Ilkley Brewery beers.

A recent report claimed there are almost eight million cask ale drinkers in the United Kingdom, with the number of 18 to 24-year-olds drinking cask ales on the rise.

“Demand for our cask-conditioned ales continues to rise but in order for city centre bars, restaurants and hotels to serve our beers, we needed to create something that didn’t require bulky hand pumps and a time-consuming process in order to serve cask-conditioned beer,” said Luke Raven from the brewery.

“Kegged beers are a perfect solution for bar areas with limited service and cellar space.”

The new beers are called MJ Pale, MJ Summit and MJ Fortis.

They will be launched on Wednesday, November 16, at the North Bar.

For more on Ilkley Brewery, go to ilkleybrewery.co.uk or to read their blog, go to ilkley breweryblog.blogspot.com.

Article taken from the Ilkley Gazette

A BIRKENHEAD brewery has triumphed at a leading beer contest.

Peerless Brewing Company scooped four accolades for its newly launched bottled range at the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) Great Northern Beer Festival in Manchester – marking 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.

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

The competition attracted more than 300 entries across cask beer and bottled categories.

Celebrating the victory – and birthday- with colleagues at the brewery, head brewer and managing director Steve Briscoe said: “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.

“Now we go onto 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.”

Peerless supplies free trade customers across the North West and pub companies.

Article Taken from Wirral News

Moorhouse's David Grant (right) presents the Prince of Wales with Weavers T Ginger.

The Prince of Wales was presented with a pack of Moorhouse’s Weaver’s T Ginger* special ale on a royal visit to Burnley.

When released in the summer the special brew raised almost £700 for the Prince’s Charity Foundation, with 5p contributed for each of 13536 pints brewed. It pays tribute to the town’s rich textile heritage.

During the late 19th century Burnley become the most important cotton-weaving centre in the world, with an area now known as the Weavers’ Triangle at its heart. In recent years Prince Charles has been a strong supporter of the Triangle as a craft centre and visitor’s destination

With the launch of a new £4.2m brewing complex last May Moorhouse’s production capacity  trebled to more than 1000 barrels a week -  allowing the North West’s leading dedicated cask brewer to turn out special brews each month.
Weaver’s T Ginger (4.4%) is described as: ‘Refreshingly dry light amber coloured ale brewed with root ginger. There’s a delicate hint of ginger on both aroma and taste, balanced with spice and lemon notes from Challenger hops’.

For managing director David Grant meeting Prince Charles is becoming a habit – it was the third time he has met with the heir to the throne. Last year he spoke with the prince twice during a royal tour of Burnley and was able to tell HRH of Moorhouse’s ambitious expansion plans.

After presenting the beer during a reception for the prince, David Grant said: “To launch the new brewery we created several new recipes for special brews. This one is particularly suited to our ambitious expansion – giving a nod to a time when Burnley boomed in the golden age of cotton.

“We thought it was very appropriate for it to raise funds for the prince’s charity. He is a great supporter of Burnley and the revival of the Weaver’s Triangle. The bottle simply symbolised the funds we have raised and he seemed very pleased to receive it. He said he would sample it later on his way to his next engagement in the Potteries.”

The launch of the new brewery complex in May marked an historic milestone for the 146 year-old drinks company. With a high-tech visitor centre and premier training school it brings more than 20 jobs and helps with the regeneration of the former mill town.

Richard Shelton (right), one of Ilkley Brewery’s directors, collects the silver award for Stout Mary from a representative of the award sponsor, FreerButler Graphic Design.

Ilkley Brewery is celebrating its fifth SIBA award win after its full bodied oatmeal Stout Mary won at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Northern Region Beer Competition which took place at the Piccadilly Hotel in Manchester on Thursday 27 October 2011.

Stout Mary, a rich stout at 4.5% ABV, won silver in the Porters, Strong Milds, Old Ales & Stouts category. The award represents the fifth SIBA win for the spa town brewery which has been trading since January 2009.

The brewery’s popular Mary Jane has also won regional gold and national bronze SIBA awards and its Ilkley Black, Ilkley Pale and Lotus IPA have all won regional bronze awards over the past two and half years.

Ilkley Directors (l-r) Chris Ives, Richard Shelton and Stewart Ross

The prestigious competition saw Ilkley Brewery compete against 80 other northern SIBA member breweries who submitted 254 cask beers and 62 bottled beers into the  taste test undertaken by 130  judges. In addition to Ilkley Brewery’s success,  four other West Yorkshire breweries scooped awards namely Elland, Ossett, Kirkstall and Saltaire.

Speaking about its SIBA success, Richard Shelton, one of Ilkley Brewery’s directors, said: “We’re over the moon to have won this, our fifth, SIBA award. SIBA represents the very best independent brewers in the country so to be recognised by its judges and among its many top notch members, is a great achievement for us.

“Winning awards such as these really boosts our passion and drive for producing outstanding, flavour-filled beers and spurs us on to create even more.”

Stout Mary is an oatmeal stout made with chocolate malt, roast barley and oats which create a deep and delicious beer loaded with Galena and Bramling Cross hops. It is a complex, well balanced beer with strong blackcurrant, chocolate and coffee flavours and a hint of liquorice in the finish. A thoroughly satisfying beer for the cold winter evenings.

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

Great Northern Beer Festival – http://www.siba.co.uk/gnbf

DATE OF JUDGING & ANNOUNCEMENT       27^th October 2011

Overall Champion of the Competition

Sponsored by Napthens

For the full results click here