What is so exciting about opening up when we are is the astounding selection of fabulous local brewers in our area
15 years ago our most widely drunk local brewery would probably have been Brakspears. But the vast majority of local pubs would have given you the same thing. Fosters or Carling.
We are privileged to be opening at a time when there are literally 200 breweries that could offer us direct distrubution. It makes for a new challenge on the brewing side; Craft Beer is here to stay and the Taproom model is growing, but just how do you carve out a niche as a craft brewer when in the arch next door is another one?
Well for me it’s simple. Craft is nowhere near it’s peak. The guys on the Bermondsey Beer Mile don’t groan when another local brewer (though I wonder how they feel when nationwide breweries try to muscle in… ) opens up. They know the footfall warrants it. And so I feel when another brewery opens within range of our shop, I’m delighted on two fronts: Firstly, we aren’t brewing so don’t feel the pinch of increased competition, but secondly, in a market that’s still tiny in the grand scheme with around 80% of beer sales going to mass produced lager beers, every bit of differentiation is another opportunity to convert. To champion our craft beer revolution.
That’s why I get so excited when planning our opening beer choices. I get to talk to all of these guys, to select from the very best of local beer, and to put together a beer menu that will excite our patrons and lift the veil on what I think are some of East Berkshire and beyond’s best kept secrets…
When we open, we plan a quite dazzling array of kegged beers and bottles from our local area. For example, we’re hoping to be able to offer you beers such as:
- Lovibonds Lucky Lager
- Lovibonds 69 IPA
- Weird Beard Black Perle
- Siren Soundwave
- Fishers American Pale Ale
- Stardust Optic
- New Wharf DIPA
- Uprising Treason (Windsor and Eton
As well as international keg beers from the likes of HOPF, Paulaner, Lervig and more, and craft casks from Siren, Rebellion, Weird Beard and others!
To have within 20 miles, all of these fantastic breweries… Of course, there are too many to mention – is for us simply fantastic.
And Naomi, Jason and I can’t wait to share them with you all when we open!
Cheers!
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