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In an article written exclusively for SE Berks CAMRA, Suzanne Gill of Ascot Ales reflects on just why she and her husband Chris choose to run a family micro-brewery, and gives us a taster of what they will be brewing next:
As we enter our fourth year of trading we often get asked 'what on earth made you go into the beer business?'. With a background in retail sales, buying and marketing from the luggage industry what could be more different? But our passion for beer came from spending a lot of time in Belgium for work so I guess it was either going to be beer or chocolate.
Ascot Ales had been set up by a Swiss American in June 2007 using a 4 Barrel Porter plant and 2 fermenters, at that time we had started dabbling in beer through Quaffs, our 2 x 4m beer stall at Spitalfields Market in East London selling over 200 global bottled beers. We knew of Ascot Ales and really liked the beers and when the opportunity came along to buy the business we jumped at it. That was in December 2007.
In a small, anonymous industrial unit in Camberley, barely bigger than a double garage we were producing just over 2000 pints a week and had 3 regular ales; Posh Pooch our 4.2% best bitter, Alligator Ale a 4.6% hoppy golden ale and Anastasia's Exile Stout a 5% beautiful black complex stout. We were certainly on the micro end of microbrewery's when you compare it to Loddon Brewery's then capacity of over 28000 pints a week!
Now, as we celebrate our 3rd birthday and enter our 4th year of trading sales have grown and the brewery has even got a bit bigger with the addition of an adjoining unit at the same location. Some walls came down and we now have a total space of just under 2000 sq ft with the same brew plant but with additional fermenters taking our potential capacity to nearly 6000 pints a week. We now brew 5 regular beers and plenty of seasonals. But we're still very much a microbrewery, our beers are truly handcrafted from beginning to end.
Small can be beautiful and we are very proud to have received over 20 awards for our ales, most recently winning Overall LocAle of the Festival for our Anastasia's Imperial Stout 8% at Reading Beer Festival in May, one of the largest in the country. At least we now have a wall long enough to display them all!
We are lucky to have the support of some gems of freehouses that take our ales regularly on a guest basis and also pubs that have our beers on a permanent pump such as Jagz in Ascot. They trialled our Posh Pooch 4.2% best bitter against Fullers London Pride in the autumn last year and it sold so well that they now also have Alley Cat our 3.8% bitter permanently on the bar too which replaced Deuchars IPA. They are truly a LocAle pub.
We even brew a couple of exclusive house beers for some pubs. The Rowbarge in Guildford is right next to the river and stocks locally brewed beers from the SIBA Direct Delivery Scheme. Our Posh Pooch and On The Rails (our 3.8% hoppy mild) are permanently available and also their newly launched Compass Point Ale 4% brewed specially by us as their house beer. A real LocAle recipe using malts from Berkshire, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire and hops from Kent and at 4% a session beer to savour with barely any food miles to worry about.
Chris is currently working on our seasonal range for the autumn which will includes favourites such as Double Trouble 5.4% (belgian dubbel style) from late August, Oktoberfest 4.8% for Sept/Oct plus our Penguin Porter 4.5% which was initially brewed as a seasonal in April but due to demand has become a semi regular. There is also a waiting list for our Anastasia's Imperial Stout so we have to squeeze that in when we can. There are also some ideas bouncing around for a belgian tripel style at over 6% and playing with additional flavours in some current recipes such as vanilla, hazelnut, peach, raspberry.... And we have to fit in a festival special for the Ascot Racecourse Beer Festival at the end of September and also a special beer to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Croydon Tramlink in South London for mid October. Now you know why we needed the extra capacity!
So bonkers or brave....? When the alarm goes off at 4.45am most mornings with a packed day ahead of brewing, bottling, delivering, sales, marketing and not to mention the paperwork then bonkers must seem the most apt. Brave....probably as it is tough out there and with competition in the microbrewery sector growing each year and the pressures of increasing taxation and running costs can make it difficult to sleep some nights. So if any of you out there know a terrific pub that would like to try our beers let us know! I guess we're both bonkers and brave, we're doing something we love and giving many people pleasure in drinking our beers and supporting a small, family run local business.
Cheers!
On 17th July a group of intrepid branch members caught the Real Ale Train (RAT). This is a steam train that runs on the Watercress Line where real ale is served to passengers.
The night started in the Railway Arms, a popular pub near Alton station that is owned by the Tripple FFF Brewery, where we were able to atune our taste buds to the local brews.
Once aboard the real ale train, we managed to get seats in an optimal location, right next to the bar carriage and close to the food carriage.
The bar treated us to a selection of bright beers from the breweries of Langham, Harveys and Tripple FFF, plus a Newton cider. The Langham's Hip Hop went down particularly well on the night.
We contentedly supped away as the steam engine hauled us through the picturesque Hampshire countryside between Alton and Alresford. There were plenty of station stops plus opportunities to watch the engine manoever from one end of the train to the other each time we turned around.
One of the highlights of the night was each time we encountered the other train running along the Watercress Line that night. The passengers on that train were dressed-up to the nines and eating a posh meal. Their reactions were priceless as we held up our pint glasses and called out “Cheers!”
Photos from the trip can be found in the Gallery.
On Friday 24th and Saturday 25th September 2010 the Fourth Ascot Racecourse Beer Festival will showcase 230 real ales, ciders and perries. A full programme of racing will be taking place whilst the festival is on - featuring the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on the Saturday.
The bars will be run entirely by volunteer CAMRA members who are rewarded with up to one free pint of beer or cider per hour worked. That is where you come in! More volunteers are needed to serve beer and cider on both the Friday and Saturday, so why not join us? It is great fun, but if you are hesitant you are welcome to sign up for only one session. We are located just above the grandstand viewing area, right in the thick of the atmosphere and volunteers will have the opportunity to watch the racing during their breaks.
Click HERE to print/save the Staffing Form and covering letter
Once you have completed the form, post it to the Staffing Manager, Sue Thirlaway at the address on the form.
The future of the Redan (Peach Street, Wokingham, RG40 1XG) is under threat. Pubs Officer Dave Goater has learnt that planning began in April to develop the site into further retail outlets and dwellings.
The consultation process was completed in June, featuring 8 opposition entries; Dave identified a suggested CAMRA letter template to file an opposition and, albeit late, sent the letter (below), to which receipt was confirmed.
Dave has also written to local MP, John Redwood, but no help has been forthcoming.
It is hoped that the pub will remain open in its current form, and the branch will keep abreast of the situation as it develops.
The results from Round 1 (Berkshire) of the Regional Pub of the Year award are now in, as follows:
1st Bell, Aldworth (West Berks)
2nd Jack O'Newbury, Binfield (SE Berks)
3rd Carpenter's Arms, Windsor (Slough, Windsor & Maidenhead)
4th Bird in Hand, Knowl Hill (Reading & Mid Berks)
The Bell at Aldworth will be presented with its Berkshire Pub of the Year award at 8pm on Wednesday 28th July.
Adrian Bean, Chairman of West Berks Branch said of the Bell “'The West Berkshire and Arkell's beers and Uptons and Tutts Clumps real ciders are always in excellent form. Sometimes its better to see a limited, but well-kept range of beers rather than a forest of hand pumps that some pubs do.”
Reassuringly, the Jack O'Newbury (our branch Pub of the Year, pictured below) polled a very close second, which is an excellent achievement.
The winners from each County in our region now go forward to Round 2, as follows:
BUCKS
The Crown and Sceptre, Red Lion Lane, Bridens Camp, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 6EY
OXON
The Royal Oak, Newbury Street, Wantage, OX12 8DF
BERKS
The Bell, Bell Lane, Aldworth, RG8 9SE
Congratulations to all at the Jack O'Newbury (Terrace Road North, Binfield, RG42 5PH) whom have been voted as CAMRA Berkshire South-East's Pub of the Year for 2010.
This is the third time in four years that the Jack have won this much-coveted award. They previously won it in 2007 and 2008.
Branch Chairman Nick Boley (seen below left presenting the award to Landlord Dave Pepper) said “this is a true community local selling good beer and giving a warm welcome. Unlike many local pubs, when you walk in you are greeted by the landlord himself with a cheery smile and a few welcoming words. The beers come mainly from local brewers, which is sadly too rare in this area”.
This year's award was presented at the Jack on Thursday 17th June. Dave obtained a cask of Knight of the Garter, the new beer from the recently established Windsor & Eton Brewery which went down very well on the night.
Congratulations also to the Bull at Barkham (Barkham Road, Barkham, RG41 4TL) who commendably finished as runners-up. Their presentation took place on Wednesday 30th June. Pictured below branch members help celebrate the award with landlord and landlady Adrian and Susie Brunswick.
The long awaited work at the Rose and Crown (High St, Sandhurst, GU47 8HA) has finally been completed with a new extension being added to the bar, additional decking added, leading out to the garden at the rear.
Pub landlord Barry, is delighted with the increased bar space and has worked hard in the old bar area, turning the old area into something that is much more pleasing to the eye. With the addition of extra handpumps Barry is hoping to stock an additional 3 draft bitters making nine hand drawn beers during busy sessions.
On Saturday 13th March, we were informed by landlord Kevin that The Wheelwrights Arms (Davis Way, St Nicholas Hurst, RG10 0TR) are now in the CAMRA discount scheme. Camra members will benefit from a 10% reduction in the price of Wadworth's beer.
Not only should we support Kevin by going and drinking in the Wheelwrights, but we also ought to think of this as a campaigning opportunity for the branch and see if we can encourage other pubs to follow suit. So don't forget your membership card when visiting the Wheelwrights in the near future.
The National CAMRA Cider and Perry Championships 2010 were held at Reading Beer Festival.
The winner of the Cider Gold medal is Sandford Orchards Cider, which the judges described as “having a fruity aroma with wonderful honeysuckle and banana notes, and a long, sweet aftertaste”.
The winner of the Perry Gold medal is Hartlands Farmhouse Perry, which the judges described as “a beautiful perry, well- balanced in aroma and taste, with a great combination of spice and sweetness”.
Click HERE to open the full CAMRA press release.
News Snippets
If you wish to share any news, please . Also check out the branch newsletter, The Mad Cow.| Date | Posted By | |
|---|---|---|
| 30th July 2010 |
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA on at Golden Retriever Thornbridge Jaipur IPA is on from today at the Golden Retriever, as part of their “Summer in a glass” festival. Other guests will follow in the next few weeks. See www.vintageinn.co.uk/thegoldenretrieverbracknell/offer/summercaskalefestival/. |
Dave |
| 25th July 2010 |
Info on Egham Beer Festival Egham Summer Beer Festival will run from Thursday 19th to Sunday August 22nd - It costs £1 to get in with a CAMRA card. On the Saturday afternoon (the time of our branch visit) there will be a “Meet the Brewer” session with Peter Fowler of Pitstop brewery. The Provisional beer list shows 42 beers and 13 ciders, from a mixture of LocAle brewers and those less frequently seen in these parts. |
Simon |
| 23rd July 2010 |
Real Cider event at Blue Mountain Golf Club There will be a Real Cider and Sausage event at Blue Mountain Golf Club, Binfield on Sunday September 26th - £5 to get in, and includes a free souvenir glass. |
Matt C |
| 23rd July 2010 |
August Bank Holiday Beer Festival at the Rose & Crown On the August Bank Holiday weekend (27th to 30th August) a beer festival is being held at The Rose & Crown, Sandhurst. There will be up to 17 beers and a BBQ, plus live music on the Saturday night. |
Adrian and David |
| 21st July 2010 |
August Bank Holiday Beer Festival at the Crispin The current Manager of the Crispin in Wokingham, Mick, is organising
a beer festival for August Bank Holiday Saturday (28th August 2010) which presumably will trail on for a couple of days.There will be four beers on in the bar and six to eight in the garden, with cooling jackets. Beers will be localish - Andwell, Vale, Loddon, Hammerpot, Church End and possibly Windsor & Eton. |
Sue |
| 19th July 2010 |
Cider Festival at Windsor Racecourse Windsor Racecourse are advertising a Cider Festival to be held on the evening of Monday August 23rd. Like our own Ascot festival, this will be held in conjunction with a race meeting. |
Simon |
| 8th July 2010 |
News from Branch Meeting Royal Oak, Bracknell - details of July beer festival to be added to the website as
soon as available.Goose, Bracknell - English Pale Ale (Marstons Fast-Cask) tried and given the thumbs up. Roebuck, Binfield - further reports of poor service. |
Various Members |
| 7th July 2010 |
White Hart at Winkfield Excellent food and a friendly welcome from Phil at the White Hart in Winkfield. They currently offer Hammerpot Martlett, a lovely light hoppy refreshing beer in very good condition, alongside the usual 2 Greene King offerings. Hammerpot is a brewery that the landlord often features. |
Nick and David |
| 23rd June 2010 |
News from Around and About 1) South Hill Park Atrium Bar in Bracknell selling Fullers Discovery, Chiswick and HSB.
2) Cannie Man, Hanworth selling Wadworths 6X. 3) Three Legged Cross, Warfield. Greene King IPA and St Edmund Ale in decent condition but largely a (very good) restaurant with a bar. 4) The Goose, Bracknell selling Marstons English Pale Ale (EPA) for £1.49. This beer is produced using Marston's “fast cask” system which settles the beer immediately. The pint I had in there recently, on a hot day, was cool, refreshing, tasty and in very good condition. |
Nick |
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