Moorhouse’s Brewery Team Delivers Top Marks
Top Marks - the Moorhouse's brewing and distribution team with the new draywagon
Moorhouse’s – the North West’s newest regional brewery – has passed a top industry benchmark with flying colours.
Cask Marque, the brewing and pub industry’s quality watchdog, has awarded the acclaimed Lancashire brewer a 100 per cent score in its Distributor Charter Award – which rigorously tests storage and distribution systems.
One of only a handful of brewers in the country to gain the status, Moorhouse’s achieved the perfect score in the first bi-annual inspection for the company’s £4.2m cask-conditioned ale brewery.
The new complex was launched in 2011 to treble former production capacity to more than 1000 brewer’s barrels-a-week (some 15 million pints-a-year) of the famous ‘Pendle Witches’ cask ales.*
A high-tech temperature controlled warehouse which can store 8,000 chilled nine gallon casks, has played a pivotal role in fast growing sales. And recently the Burnley brewery invested in a new 21 tonne dray wagon capable of carrying a payload of 270 firkins (nine gallon casks).
Annabel Smith, national account manager at Cask Marque said: “Moorhouse’s is a shining example to the industry as how to do things properly where beer quality is concerned. Having undertaken heavy investment in the brewery the logistics part of the business has not been forgotten. This is reflected in the high pass mark on the first of our bi-annual inspections.”
“For nearly 15 years Cask Marque has preached the gospel to licensees up and down the country about the importance of beer quality and the benefits to their business. All retailers should be ensuring their chosen supplier is compliant. I would like to congratulate the Moorhouse’s team for their dedication to ensuring beer reaches the final destination in the best condition possible.”
Moorhouse’s first won the Charter recognition following inspection shortly after opening the new brewery. Cask Marque inspector Allan Mackie added: “Moorhouse’s Brewery has now received a merited inspection score, reflecting their continuous improvement and sustained high standards in their post-packaging operations.
“It’s very heartening to discuss how subtle changes in methods and best practice for warehousing and distribution can have a big influence on the quality of cask ale at customer level. It is deeply satisfying to return and observe these points in operation and hear first-hand the benefits obtained.”
Recently the company announced landmark sales of five-million-pints for the for the famous five cask ales – Pride of Pendle, Black Cat, Blond Witch, Premier Bitter and Pendle Witches Brew – for the 12 months to March. Moorhouse’s aims to hit sales of 600 brewer’s barrels-a-week and a £7m turnover by 2015.
David Grant, managing director, said: “This highly prestigious Cask Marque endorsement further strengthens our ambitious plans to expand business nationwide and is a terrific accolade to the whole team. Quality and consistency of beer is crucial to the success of publicans. Now they can rest assured that they will be receiving the best cask ale for their customers.”
