Features

In 1992 Paul Theakston of the famous Masham brewing clan, launched his own brewery with a business plan aimed solely at the free trade. Today Black Sheep ales are on sale in 1,000 pubs and bottled beers are available nationwide. Paul has now handed over day-to-day control to his sons Rob and Jo but he keeps a fatherly eye on the business and has helped devise a celebration beer to mark 20 years of success

Added: Monday, November 12th 2012

Strong Suffolk Ale, brewed by Greene King, is a potent link with 'country beers' brewed in the 18th century. It's a blend of two beers: the strongest is Old 5X aged in wooden vats for between one and two years. Now there's growing demand for Old 5X to be bottled as a separate beer

Added: Wednesday, October 24th 2012

Batemans in Lincolnshire is a sturdy member of the small number of surviving family brewers. In the hands of the younger generation of Jaclyn and Stuart Bateman, the brewery is carving new routes to market by overhauling its beer range and improving its pub estate. Pictured: the Carpenters Arms in Boston

Added: Saturday, October 20th 2012

The English hop industry could die within a decade unless British brewers start to use more home-grown varieties. Once a major industry -- image shows hop pickers in the early 20th century -- it's now withering on the bine

Added: Wednesday, October 10th 2012

In a speech to MCC members at Lord's cricket ground on 8 October I outlined the historic links between beer and cricket, where the laws of the game were drawn up at the Bat & Ball pub in Hambledon (left), and then conducted a tasting of beers from breweries close to Test grounds

Added: Tuesday, October 9th 2012

Tim Martin (left), founder of J D Wetherspoon, reported healthy profits but he will open fewer pubs this year as a result of the tax burden. He attacks the government for both high rates of duty and 'stealth taxes' that cost him £4 million a year -- but he's firmly against minimum pricing.

Added: Sunday, September 16th 2012

After years of domination by the Big Two, there are now 20 craft breweries in Ireland that are at long last offering drinkers a diverse range of ales, stouts and lagers. Xavier Baker (pictured) is just one of many independent brewers rolling back the tidal wave of the global giants' stouts

Added: Sunday, September 9th 2012

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of major regional brewer Shepherd Neame, says the "duty escalator" is doing great harm to pubs that are the centres of their communities

Added: Wednesday, September 5th 2012

The chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale says pub closures must be tackled, the beer duty escalator has to be scrapped and if some brewers want to make keg beer -- 'be my guest'

Added: Friday, August 17th 2012

The 2012 GBBF will be more than just a beer festival -- it's a celebration of the remarkable revival of beer on a world scale

Added: Sunday, July 22nd 2012