Martin Clunes with chief executive Steve Skinner at Skinners Brewery, Truro, during the TV star's visit to Cornwall to help promote a campaign to raise awareness about meningitis

Britain’s best-known fictional doctor called in on Skinners Brewery at Truro during a visit to Cornwall to help promote a campaign to raise awareness about meningitis.

Martin Clunes – TV’s Doc Martin – had earlier been to Bosvigo School, where he helped launch “Colour My Friday,” a joint campaign by the Handstand Appeal and Meningitis UK.

Handstand has been set up for two-year-old meningitis victim Marshall Janson who, together with his mum and dad, joined Martin in the Skinners tour.

Accompanied by chief executive Steve Skinner, Martin pulled a pint of Handstand Hooch, the special limited edition beer Skinners are producing on behalf of the appeal. He was presented with a case of bottled Handstand Hooch by Steve and his sales manager, Stuart Hughes.

Martin also signed two Handstand rugby shirts, which Skinners are sponsoring for the next three years. The signed shirts will be auctioned to raise money for the appeal.

Martin Clunes at Skinners Brewery, Truro, with chief executive Steve Skinner (centre) and sales manager Stuart Hughes, during the TV star's visit to Cornwall to help promote a campaign to raise awareness about meningitis

Launched at SIBA Conference 2010

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Session ale, Hop Nob (3.9%) is ‘an amber coloured brew, with an initial bitterness tempered by citrus
notes from the new 2009 Cascade hop’. With a striking pump clip designed in colours to match the season
the beer is available from mid March – in time for the first day of spring on March 20.

In a short time Peerless has built sales across the North West for its core range. These include Full Whack (6%abv), strong traditional pale ale, Triple Blond. (4.1%abv), a combination of three types of malts and hops that has proved to be the best selling ale, and the authentically brewed Storr lager (4.8%abv), which has been well received by both ale and lager drinkers.

Managing director Steve Briscoe said: “We have quickly gained an excellent following for our core brews in good cask ales pubs throughout the region as well as Merseyside and Wirral. Consequently we are now looking at occasional specials to add variety and Hop Nob is the first.

“The American Cascade hops deliver a very special flavour with a good hoppy bitterness and gentle citrus notes. It’s meant as a fun moderate strength beer to signal the end of the winter gloom and fit the seasonal mood as a light and fresh beer for – hopefully - fresh spring days.”

The amount was raised through a raffle which included prizes donated by Wye Valley Brewery and The Katz Group.

Licensed Trade Support & Care helps around 1200 people every year, who are working or retired from pubs and breweries across the country and are facing a crisis in their life.

Julian Grocock, Chief Executive of SIBA said, “I am very proud that members and guests at our dinner were able to recognise the work of the Licensed Trade Charity in the brewing and pub sector, and have supported them in this way. ”

On the second day of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) conference in Stratford-upon-Avon, Grocock criticised the health lobbyists who blame the trade for binge drinking.

“I contend that we (the brewing industry) are better organised around people and their health and welfare than any lobby prohibitionists who want to haul us over the coals towards complete oblivion.”

He added: “I confess that I view the health nannies with the same kind of mistrust and suspicion that I sued to view those people in my village who I never got to know simply because they didn’t go to the pub.”

This year’s conference focuses on people power and the vital importance of people in the industry.

Stratford-upon-Avon mayor Jenny Fradgley gave a rousing introduction, praising the role that real ale plays in combating binge drinking.

“Beer is a delight and should be drunk in company in traditional pubs,” she said.

Taken from: Morning Advertiser

By Gemma McKenna

This year’s conference was attended by some 350 SIBA members, suppliers and associates. The theme of ‘The People Factor’ was taken up by all the speakers, starting with motivational guru Nigel Risner, who talked about the importance for breweries of understanding the different types of people who work for them and who buy and drink their beers.

Speakers from the industry included: Nick Bish, ALMR chief executive; Chris Holmes, chief executive and chairman of Castle Rock Brewery; Steve Benton, commercial manager, Marston’s and Simon Townsend, chief operating officer, Enterprise Inns. The common message emerging from all speakers was that, despite the challenging trading environment faced by brewers and publicans, those that understand ‘the people factor’ in their business, and who build relationships with their employees, customers and suppliers, will succeed.

Closing the conference, SIBA’s new chairman Keith Bott said, “This has been a fantastic conference. What has really shone through over these last two days is the passion for beer shared by everyone in the room. We must hold onto that passion, for it enables us to produce wonderful, innovative beers that engage and excite our customers and, ultimately, mean that the quality independent brewing sector will continue to grow.”

Tim Croxson presents to Tony Gartland of Saltaire Brewery

West Yorkshire brewery Saltaire scooped three Awards in the SIBA National Beer Competition 2010, announced at the close of the organisation’s annual conference in Stratford-on-Avon.

Shipley-based Saltaire took the top title of Supreme Champion Beer 2010 for its Triple Chocoholic, a 4.8% chocolate stout. The same beer won the Gold Award in the Champion Speciality Beer category, while the brewery’s Cascade Pale Ale scooped the Champion Premium Bitters prize.

All 10 winning beers were chosen last month at The Canalhouse pub in Nottingham, where some 50 judges gathered to pick the winners from the 56 cask and seven bottled finalist beers. A Gold, Silver and Bronze Award were given in each of the nine categories, and the Supreme Champion title was then selected from the eight draught Gold winners.

Tony Gartland, owner and head brewer at Saltaire Brewery, said, “Winning three Awards is a great thrill. I thought we stood a good chance in the Speciality Beer category, but to win the overall title was a real surprise and shows that the UK’s beer drinkers are ready for new, different tastes.”

SIBA’s outgoing chairman, Peter Amor, said, “Attending SIBA Regional and National Beer Competitions has been one of the duties I’ve enjoyed most as Chairman. In my three years in post, I’ve seen the competitions grow in stature, both in the quantity and standard of entries from brewers, which this year exceeded 1,400 at regional heat stage, and in the number of judges wanting to be part of the selection process.

“The success of the competition reflects that of the local brewing sector. Our beers offer the quality, taste, individuality and provenance that consumers are looking for. It is no surprise that smaller breweries are bucking the overall UK beer trend and growing volumes.”

Caption to attached image: (l-r) Tim Croxson of sponsors Croxsons presents the trophy to Tony Gartland, owner and head brewer at Saltaire Brewery, winners of this year’s SIBA Supreme Champion Beer Award

And the winners were …

Supreme Champion Beer 2010 Triple Chocoholic
Saltaire Brewery, Shipley, Yorkshire

Champion Milds (up to 4% ABV) Dark Mild
Bank Top Brewery, Bolton

Champion Bitters & Pale Ales (up to 4% ABV) Lord Marples
Thornbridge Brewery, Derbyshire

Champion Best Bitters (4.1 – 4.5% ABV) Darwins Origin
Salopian Brewing, Shrewsbury

Champion Premium Bitters (4.6 – 4.9%) Cascade Pale Ale Supreme Speciality Beer Saltaire Brewery, Shipley, Yorkshire

Champion Strong Bitters (5.1 – 5.5% ABV) Big Chief Bitter
Greenmill Brewery, Rochdale

Champion Strong Ales (over 5.6%) Dorothy Goodbody’s Country Ale
Wye Valley Brewery

Champion Porters, Strong Milds, Old Ales & Stouts Guerilla
Blue Monkey Brewery, Derbyshire

Champion Speciality Beers Triple Chocoholic
Saltaire Brewery, Shipley, Yorkshire

Champion Bottled Beers Proper Job
St Austell Brewery

 Situated in a converted paper mill on the bank of the river Wharfe in Pool-in-Wharfedale, close to Otley, the 20-barrel brew plant will have a capacity of 100 barrels per week.

Since leaving the Scottish brewery, Martin has set about creating his vision to build a handcrafted, premium cask brand along with a range that is not only innovative, but demand a permanent place on the bar, as well as in the beer drinkers repertoire.

The core range of WharfeBank Brewery, brewed by the recently retired Head Brewer of Tetley Cask, Ian Smith are made up of three core beers; Slingers Gold, Tether Blond and CamFell Flame.

The beers are currently brewed at Kellaway’s cask brew pub, the Fox and Newt in Leeds, alongside the Fox Beer Company own range of ales, and have been trialled on many an eager customer within the pub and at a number of Yorkshire beer festivals this winter. 

·         Slingers Gold is a wonderful golden coloured very refreshing and yet full beer brewed with Maris Otter ale malt and crystal malt and hopped with Chinook, Cascade and Celeia hops.  This combination of hops gives a complex floral aroma with pronounced citrus.  At 3.9%abv, it’s a great session beer and highly quaffable!

·         At 4.1%abv Tether Blond is pale, drinkable American style beer brewed with Maris Otter ale malt and a pinch of crystal malt and hopped with Cascade and Simcoe hops.  The hops give the beer a resinous/citrus character with a very distinctive Passion fruit top note.

·         CamFell Flame this 4.4%abv beer is a ruby coloured full drinking premium ale brewed with Maris Otter ale malt, Crystal malt, Amber malt, Torrefied wheat and unusually Demerara sugar. Hopped with Pilgrim and Challenger English hops with Celeia aroma late hops – a complex beer bursting with flavour!

“This project has always been a vision of mine and to see the brewery almost complete is just great,” said Kellaway.  “With Ian on board, we believe that we’ve created some really special beers and he is itching to be hands-on and get back in the brew house.  He’s got some amazing recipes up his sleeve and by using the very best hops and ingredients, it’s reflected in the beer we’re producing.  Rather than retire completely, Ian really wants to show beer lovers what a great brewer he is!

“We’ve got such a rich brewing heritage here in Yorkshire and we’ve tried to convey that.  We want to offer the beer drinker everything that is good and great about beer with a slight modern twist, even pushing the boundaries in some cases.  We’ve thought about every aspect of the beers from how they taste to down to the look of the pump clips and we’re really happy with the results. 

“We want the range to become a must stock for licensees and draw customers in time after time.  So, if they know that their pub of choice stocks WharfeBank Brewery beers, then they’ll make the effort to visit the pub on a more regular basis. 

As well as the core range, we’ve also developed a range of monthly guest and seasonal ales which will be available in May starting with a traditional premium dark mild, for the ‘Mild Month of May’ called Black Tom.

“We’ve tried to be a little bit different and create beers that are seen as an everyday treat and we’re quietly confident that those who sample our beers will feel the same!”

Christine Cryne and Liz Brodie in the Coffee House Soho

Brodie’s, the East London brewery, is brewing up a Brainwave! Expert brewers, brother and sister Jamie and Liz Brodie, have decided to brew a beer and give all the profits to children’s charity, Brainwave.

The beer, named after the Charity, is 3.1% alcohol content and is described by Jamie as “easy drinking, super light, hoppy beer flavored with lots of Columbus hops, which gives it a fruity aroma”.

Brainwave, established in 1982, works with families to deliver individual, home based therapy and exercises for children with disabilities and Development Delay to reach their full potential. This can be anything from walking to recognising numbers. The charity looks after a whole range of children with conditions including Cerebral Palsy, Down’s syndrome and Autism. Families from all over London visit its Centre in Witham, Essex, about 50 minutes out of Liverpool Street.

Christine Cryne, Brainwave’s Chief Executive Officer, said “Enquiries to Brainwave about our services have been growing at 30% a year and we have almost doubled the number of families on our Programmes in five years. We receive no funding from Government and so donations like this are invaluable to us. We are really grateful to Brodie’s for thinking of us and as a CAMRA member myself, I’m really looking forward to trying it. We hope too that this will help raise our awareness in London to get to the families who need our help”.

The beer will be available at the King Charles I, Northdown Street, N1, Wenlock, Wenlock Road, N1, Old Fountain, Baldwin Street EC1, Cross Keys in Covent Garden, the Old Coffee House in Soho, and, of course, their brewery tap, The William IV in Leyton; see www.brodiesbeers.co.uk.

Jamie and Liz Brodie and Christine Cryne are available for radio interviews.