Features

Phil and Debbie Goacher launched their brewery in 1983 and restored beer-making to Maidstone, which had lost two large breweries, Fremlins and Style & Winch. Goachers concentrates on strictly traditional styles and still makes a mild. Phil and Debbie have retired and the brewery is run by their son Howard. He uses Kentish hops and would like farmers to grow barley in Kent.

Added: Tuesday, December 7th 2021

Pilgrim Brewery in Reigate is Surrey's oldest brewery and it supplies not only pubs in the county but the Oval cricket ground. It was founded by Dave Roberts, who helped SIBA gain Progressive Beer Duty for smaller brewers. It's now run by a trio who have expanded the beer range and upgraded the brewing kit but remain faithful to Roberts' beers that celebrate the pilgrims who made the long trek from Salisbury to Canterbury

Added: Sunday, November 21st 2021

Nottingham was once dominated by two big breweries, now long gone. Today there's a large number of artisan breweries, led by Castle Rock, offering great choice drinkers. And there are some superb pubs, including the Kean's Head in the historic Lace Market.

Added: Friday, September 10th 2021

Fears that cask beer would not recover from the lockdowns have been knocked aside by reports from both regional and smaller breweries that sales are booming. Two family brewers, Charles Wells in Bedford, and Everards in Leicester have downsizes to new plants, Brewpoint and the Beer Hall, where cask ales are central to their plans. Pictured: the Brew Hall.

Added: Monday, August 23rd 2021

In spite of the impact of the pandemic and lockdowns, Thornbridge Brewery in Derbyshire is witnessing record ales of its beers and it retains a strong commitment to cask ale, including its brand leader, Jaipur IPA

Added: Sunday, July 25th 2021

Ralph Findlay, the soon-to-retire chief executive of Marston's brewery and pub company, says the beer world has changed dramatically in recent years and younger drinkers are no longer passionate about cask ale. The group's biggest beer brands are Hobgoblin and Wainwright's while such revered ales as Pedigree and Banks's are struggling. He says the merger with Carlsberg will give Marston's greater muscle in the free trade

Added: Friday, July 9th 2021

The Magdala Tavern in Hampstead, North London, is famous as the place where Ruth Ellis -- the last woman to be hanged in Britain -- shot her lover in 1955. The pub, owned by Punch Taverns, had been closed since 2014 but it's been bought by Dick Morgan who also runs the Express Tavern in Kew and the Sussex Arms in Twickenham. He has spent £250,000 restoring a famous North London landmark with a fine range of beers

Added: Saturday, July 3rd 2021

As the Campaign for Real Ale celebrates its 50th anniversary, a book by Laura Hadland charts the history of CAMRA, the rise and fall of keg beer, the growth of British lager and the dynamic impact of Progressive Beer Duty. With sales of cask beer in crisis as a result of the pandemic and pub shutdowns, the campaign is as a relevant today as it was in the 1970s.

Added: Monday, June 14th 2021

Just when you thought there could be no further versions of IPA, along come two new interpretations -- Milk Shake and wild. Milk Shake IPAs are brewed with the addition of lactose that can't be fermented by brewer's yeast and gives a creamy note to the beer, while wild Brettanomyces yeast leaves a funky and acidic note. The Brett beers are brewed by Beavertown (pictured)

Added: Saturday, May 8th 2021

As CAMRA celebrates its 50th anniversary, it also recognises the strong links between the organisation and St Albans. The city is home to the head office while the local branch, South Herts, is the oldest in the country, founded at the Farriers Arms pub in 1972 (pictured) The branch also runs one of the most successful beer festivals in the country

Added: Friday, March 19th 2021