High House Farm Brewery, Matfen Northumbria

Steve Urwin attended the Start up brewing course in 2002 looking to install a brewery on the family farm near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumbria. High House Farm had suffered from the restrictions imposed by the foot and mouth epidemic in 2002 and needed options to diversify its activities.

After a detailed planning the 10 barrel brewery was founded in 2003 in Grade II listed converted farm buildings. The brewery soon achieved success with its beers winning CAMRA Regional awards, SIBA Regional awards and SIBA National awards.

Nel’s Best, the brewery’s best selling ale, has been one of 8 finalists in the Champion Beer of Britain awards in 2003 and 2006.

6 ales are produced and 4 bottled on site. The brewery now boasts a visitor centre and has won the Countryside Alliance Best Diversification-Rural Retailer of the year in the North East in 2006, and gained a Bronze award in the North East England Tourism awards in 2006.

Being only 2 miles from the historic Hadrian’s Wall, it offers plenty of opportunity for visitor acclaim and appreciation by thirsty brewers.

Brewlab provided regular support to Steve while developing the brewery and now provides Due Diligence analyses and yeast services. In addition Brewlab students regularly visit the brewery to view the equipment and undertake placements on site for both brewing and bottling.

Steve finds regular contact with Brewlab an ideal way of keeping up to date with brewing developments and appreciates the value of placements “We try to provide as realistic a view of brewing life as possible. Students need to see the day to day activities as well as applying their theory to our brewing process. We often discuss their understanding and put it into practical context. I think they leave with more than just a day’s work behind them”.

Keystone Brewery Berwick St. Leonard Wiltshire

The Keystone brewery was established by Alasdair and Charlotte Large near Salisbury after Alasdair attended the 3 week Certificate in Practical Brewing course in 2004.

Before considering a brewing career Alasdair spent 20 years as a colonel in the army and on retiring looked for an active and challenging enterprise. Charlotte provides the marketing skills to promote Keystone’s bottled and cask beers into restaurants, cafes and pubs.

The broad portfolio of regular, seasonal and occasional beers offered by Keystone require them to be skilled in their recipe formulations and fermentation management. These skills which are strongly promoted on the Brewlab Practical Brewing certificate course.

Keystone beers are not just traditional but inventive. In 2007 Gold Spice won the Gold award in the Society of Independent Brewery regional competition. Brewed with recently released Boadicea hops, Gold Spice has a late addition of ginger to provide the award winning spice.

Brewlab supply advice, yeast and analytical services to Keystone whilst maintaining contact for future developments.

Saltaire Brewery, Saltaire, West Yorkshire

Tony Gartland and Derek Todd first met when they came on the Diploma brewing course in February 2005. Tony was looking for a more active career after success in the legal world and Derek was a chemical engineer for a pharmaceutical firm.
Both had a vision of brewing as a means of combining a desire for a physical occupation with a business based on real products. Brewlab provided the opportunity for them to combine their talents and initiate the Saltaire brewery.

Tony found the brewery premises in 2005. It was a disused Victorian electricity generating station close to the centre of Saltaire, unused for decades. Renovation required a solid year of brickwork and ironwork, creating an extended period of planning for ergonomic brewery design and layout.

Derek was engaged to help brew and manage the brew house and the brewery opened in June 2006. 5 traditional beers are now produced selling into numerous pubs in the north of England as well as the bar in the brewery itself.

Saltaire’s premium beer, Cascade Pale Ale, won the 2007 SIBA Gold award, the ultimate standard of achievement from the brewing industry itself.

Saltaire brewery uses Brewlab services and yeast and is keen to maintain a high level of technical understanding on site. Tony confirms the value of Brewlab’s connection “New products require flexible brewing skills and good awareness of new technology. Brewlab provided the basis for these with its Diploma programme and we look forward to applying all our knowledge as we develop products in the future”.

Stonehenge ales Netheravon Wiltshire

Stig Anderson took over the Stonehenge brewery in 1993 and developed an impressive list of beers and awards. Stig was already an accomplished Danish brewer and quickly recognised the value of Brewlab’s laboratory and yeast services.

Brewlab conducts a monthly Due Diligence analyses for Stonehenge Ales Ltd. And supplies yeast as required.

Stig has promoted Brewlab services to his overseas associates and Brewlab now provides services and yeast to Rise Brygger brewery in Denmark.

Fyne Ale Brewery, Cairndow, Scotland

Jonny and Tuggy Delap started the Fyne Ale brewery on St Andrew’s day in 2001 having attended a Brewlab Start Up Brewing course in 2000.  The brewery is in traditional dairy buildings at Achadunan, Cairndow, Scotland. Extensive conversion works were required.

In 2002 a bottling line was added and capacity now needs to be increased again to meet the current demand.

Fyne Ales beers cover a range of styles, including light and dark ales and a fine, full bodied porter. The beers have won awards in CAMRA festivals and SIBA competitions, both regionally and nationally.

Brewlab provides Fyne ales with yeast and analysis services as well as advice on developments.  The company has sent its brewers on courses at Sunderland to ensure that everyone is up to date with their knowledge and skills. 

Grafters Brewery, Willingham by Stow, Gainsborough

Inspired by a healthy appetite for Real Ale, master-brewer Phil Troop, landlord of the Half Moon embarked upon his road to creating his own brewery.

Phil attended the Start Up Brewing course at Brewlab in December 2007 and made his first brew in March 2008. In a very short space of time, his excellent ales have already been recognised as some of the best in their categories. Phil won gold and silver medals in the new brewer category at The Peterborough Beer Festival 2008. In 2009 Phil won the gold medal in best bitter under 4% and was again awarded the Champion beer of the festival beating over 350 beers.

Ole Slew Foot Brewery, Hainford, Norwich

John Bates established the Ole Slew Foot Brewing Company in July 2008 after buying a 820 litre kit form Glastonbury ales and now produces a range of fine traditional British and European ales.

In October 2008 John attended the 3 week Brewlab Practical Brewing Course. "I wanted to learn more about the commercial side of brewing, yeast counting and bottling. I achieved all of that and more". John also trialled recipes during the practical brewing sessions that could be produced and distributed once the brewery was operational.

In January 2009 Old Slew Foot brewed its first beer called 'January 8th'. It was a 4.2% pale ale brewed with Maris Otter Pale Malt from the famous Branthill Farm in North Norfolk. The brewery has gone from strength to strength and providing guest beers to a number of outlets.

Since production began Brewlab has provided ABV analysis for Ole Slew Foot Brewery.

Sambrooks Brewery, Battersea

Sambrook's Brewery is an independent brewery based in Battersea, London. Duncan Sambrook and David Welsh established the brewery in August 2008 with the aim of bringing craft brewing back to the heart of London.

Duncan Sambrook's first venture into the brewing world was in early 2007 with the purchase of three second-hand tanks of a five barrel brewing plant. The difficulty of running a brewery with 3 tanks was soon realised, with the 5 barrel plant never seeing any brewing during its lifetime.

Twelve months later Duncan decided to enrol on the Start Up Brewing course at Brewlab. The course provided all the necessary information regards a career in brewing and highlighted the hard work and risks involved. Duncan stated 'I came out unperturbed and re-focused on what I needed to do - find myself premises.'

Whilst looking for premises Duncan had the opportunity to meet a successful brewer by the name of David Welsh, previously managing director of Ringwood Brewery. A partnership was born with a fully operational twenty barrel plant in Battersea being created and marketing its first pint; Wandle Ale on the 26th November 2008.

The brewery permanently supplies beer to approximately 60 permanent outlets and a further 120 on a guest basis all within the M25.