The brewing and pub industry has been quick to support the efforts of Shropshire brewer Edward Wood to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

Edward, MD of the family owned and run Wood Brewery in Wistanstow, South Shropshire, is cycling almost 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats in May to mark two milestone birthdays – the brewery’s 30th and his own 60th.

In the process he aims to raise at least £6,000 for Midlands Air Ambulance – the charity whose swift airlift two years ago saved the life of his son Jonathan when he suffered a life-threatening head injury in a freak cricketing accident.

Edward said: “I circulated fellow brewers and suppliers to let them know what I was doing, and the response has been fantastic. I’ve already had cheques in from several breweries – Sarah Hughes, Purple Moose, Bathams, Wye Valley, Ludlow, Uley, Severn Valley, Holdens and Burtonbridge – and I’ve got promises of a lot more to follow. We’re past the £2,000 mark already. Thanks to everyone who has stumped up to date.”

To contribute to Edward’s fund-raising, phone him at the brewery on 01588 672523 or email Edward@woodbrewery.co.uk

In addition to the personal effort of cycling, the Wood Brewery Managing Director is inviting pubgoers to contribute in a more relaxed way – by buying a special double birthday brew, Wood’s 30-60 Challenge. The 3.6% ABV bitter will be on free house bars from April. The brewery will donate 10p to the Air Ambulance cause for every pint of 30-60 it sells.

“These are big birthdays for me, so I wanted to do something memorable by raising money for a cause that I know, from close personal experience, is very worthwhile,” said Edward. “I often cycle the two miles from home to the brewery in Wistanstow and back, so I thought it was the right time to take on something more ambitious!”

Edward, who has previously run the London Marathon and taken part in other endurance events, has been training for the John O’Groats adventure since January and is aiming to complete the ride in 12 days, starting on 4 May. He will cycle an average of 95 miles by day, celebrating his 60th birthday on 13 May somewhere in Scotland.

He recently handed over a cheque for £1,000 to Midlands Air Ambulance after brewing Triple A (Air Ambulance Ale) to mark the lifeline service’s 18 years in the air.

The Air Ambulance provides the primary response to counties including the West Midlands, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, dealing with over 3,500 callouts each year. It operates from Tatenhill Airport in Staffordshire, RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton, and Strensham North Services on the M5. The cost of running and maintaining current level of operations stands at £5.6 million, for which the organisation relies entirely on voluntary donations.

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Dave Hughes pictured with Acorn brews bound for the US

American cask beer fans are to sample award winning Yorkshire brews from Acorn Brewery later this month.

Two of the fast growing Barnsley brewers’ championship ales* - Conquest and Gorlovka Imperial Stout – will feature in the major US beer festival NERAX 2010 ** in Somerville, New England. The four day festival is dedicated to promoting the British style of beer to the growing number of cask ale enthusiasts in the States.

Both Acorn beers have recently been hailed as among the country’s champion brews. At the Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) National Winter Ales Festival – which judges stouts, porters, barley wines and old ales - Gorlovka first claimed a gold award in its class before winning the festival’s overall bronze accolade. A premium strength stout, it is named in honour of Barnsley’s Ukrainian twin town.

Conquest (5.7%), is a strong IPA (India Pale Ale) style ale first brewed last autumn. It was quickly hailed one of the North’s top beers from more than 100 brews at the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) North Beer Competition. After first claiming gold in its class it was voted the contest’s bronze winner to qualify for the national final.

Altogether Acorn’s core cask-conditioned brews, which also include Barnsley Bitter, Barnsley Gold, Old Moor Porter and Sovereign, have won more than forty awards for the seven-year-old South Yorkshire brewer. Recently top UK beer writer Roger Protz - editor of the Good Beer Guide - praised Acorn as ‘a shining example for craft brewers’ on a visit learn more of the brewery’s success. All beers use the same yeast strain as the original Barnsley Brewery of the 1850’s, to provide their distinctive Yorkshire character.

Head brewer Dave Hughes said: “NERAX is a major event for cask beer lovers in the States. Being able to showcase two of our acclaimed ales to the Americans is a great opportunity to highlight the uncompromising quality of our beers.”

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Moorhouse's David Grant (L) raises a glass with Bull licensees Lindsay and Jon Cox at a brewery Showcase event

Moorhouse’s, the North West’s leading dedicated real ale brewer, is backing National Cask Ale Week (29 March to 5 April) by offering ‘showcase’ events to publicans.

The successful showcase evenings include a film presentation on the Burnley brewery and brewing before a tutored tasting session of the famous five Pendle Witches brews* in either cask or bottle - followed by short beer quiz with prizes. Licensees, if they wish, can also work with the brewery to devise beer with food matches and can charge a nominal fee for the night.

The venue should have at least three hand pumps, be able stock Moorhouse’s beers for a few days, and, ideally, have a separate room available to avoid disrupting normal trade.

Over the past few years Moorhouse’s has put on the events across the country, from The Rake in London, the Turf, Oxford and the Guildford, Edinburgh, attracting audiences from both cask ale lovers and novices. The evenings have also been very popular in Wetherspoon’s pubs throughout Lancashire and Yorkshire, increasing business on each occasion.

Managing director David Grant said: “The showcases are free to the publican and ready made for those looking to stage a special event for Cask Ale Week. With or without food they are successful evenings with pub customers and good business drivers. We have several dates available in Cask Ale Week itself or around that time.”

At the Bull in Shocklach, South Cheshire - a country inn with five hand pumps and listed in the Good Beer Guide - a showcase recently attracted an audience of more than thirty people. It included a beer and food pairing using ‘tapas’ sized dishes with traditional British recipes devised by the pub’s chefs.

Bull landlord Jon Cox said: “It was a great night for both our regular real ale drinkers and several who knew little about cask ale. We enjoyed a good boost to our trade on what may otherwise have been a quiet night and it stimulated further interest in our cask ales.”

Contact David Grant on 01282 422864 for showcase details. For information on National Cask Ale Week see: www.caskaleweek.co.uk

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Mill Green’s own barley is being malted, and they’ll be making beer out of it very soon!

Mill Green Brewery has a 14 acre field about 3 miles from the brewery, and late last summer they harvested their first crop of malting barley.

Warminster Maltings have malted the barley and although they are not the local maltsters, Mill Green say they have used them because their size made it possible to malt small batches, and they also have a good commitment to producing Organic Malt.

Mill Green Brewery will get over 10t of pale malt. For a small brewery (4.5 Barrel plant) that should keep them going for a while.

John Norton (brewery owner and grain trader) said, “‘Our 14t of Organic Westminster spring barley was a very good sample in both analysis and size.”

“The as grown sample tested 1.24% N2 and 94.5% over the 2.5mm screen/1.6% thru the 2.2mm screen.
Organic farming doesn’t force grow using artificial fertilisers so tends to produce a better sample.
It is now being malted at Warminster floor maltings, one of the few floor maltings left in the UK.
We will be using it in our Organic beers during 2010 so expect some superb beers!.”

On the same field Green Mill also have 200 hop plants (8 varieties) that should yield their first harvest later this summer, these are all organically certified.

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“If ever there was a reason to beer blog, this has to be it.”

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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

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Guidelines For The Purchase Of Beer Kegs/Casks –
Both New & Secondhand

Launched at SIBA Conference 2010

Click here

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Peerless Brewing Company is rolling out new beer Hop Nob to mark the joy of spring.
It is the first seasonal to join the Wirral brewer’s six strong cask ale range since launch last year.

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.”

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Over £1,000 was raised for Licensed Trade Support & Care (the support arm of work of the Licensed Trade Charity) at their Annual Dinner last Friday, 5th March.

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. ”

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