Green Mountain Chimichurri
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup coriander
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped chilli
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of salt
10ml Green Mountain Hot Sauce
Method:
Grind Everything together in a pestle and mortar. Perfect served with tacos.
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We have continued to develop our Barrel-Aged range with the likes of Pachamama, Necessary Evil English Whisky and Between the Sheets.
A massive highlight of 2023 was our collaboration with Budvar where together we created a Czech-Style Lager combining Budvar's expertise and brewing methods with our passion and innovation. The result was Czech Mates, a beer that was great fun to make, and hugely popular, so much so that we plan to keep brewing it next year too.
2023 was a big year for Jaipur as our baby turned 18, we celebrated by putting on lots of offers and limited-edition mixed cases on our online shop. We also released some photos of the original brewers of Jaipur and the original brew kit. Check them out on our socials.
In August our very own beer festival, Peakender, was a highlight; this was the best year yet for Peakender and we thank everyone who came along!
Sustainability is always at the forefront of our minds, and in 2023 nearly 25% of the electricity we used was derived from Solar, with plans for more in the future.
We decided to re-design our Advent Calendar this year as Bex, our in-house creative, designed a reusable and fully recyclable advent calendar which builds into a Christmas tree. The Calendar sold out this year but will be back in 2024 for anyone who wants a truly sustainable beer Advent Calendar.
To round out a cracking year, we found out that we were the most checked in brewery on Untappd across all of Europe; we have been really proud to see our beers being enjoyed far and wide.
Thank you again for all of your support this year. We can’t wait to see what 2024 has to bring.
]]>It’s that time of year again, when the beers, food and cheer are all in full flow! We have been thinking about what we’ll have on our tables over the festive season and have put together some of our favourites.
Guava Christmas – one of our Christmas beers this year is a returning favourite; it’s light, fresh and packed with Guava goodness! It’s an unusual style for a Christmas beer, and we wanted to pair it with something fun, deciding upon Goan Perad – a great little treat; it’s fudgy and soft with tropical flavour throughout.
Knäck – our dark mild is named after the Swedish Christmas toffee, and while this would pair perfectly it would be a bit boring to suggest it. We recommend Ischoklad – a German treat popular in Sweden, they are great, versatile chocolate snacks and work perfectly with our beer.
Zero Five – for those of you not imbibing alcohol this year, our Zero Five provides a great option for the table. If you’re featuring a cheese plate, make sure to try this beer alongside a sharp cheddar or stilton.
Lukas – whenever we do a beer pairing, we love to have Lukas as our welcome beer, and we think this idea translate perfectly. It’s soft, crisp and refreshing, making this a true people pleaser and the perfect drink to greet your guests with. Not just that but it goes nicely with your Christmas nibbles from cheese straws to sausage rolls.
Lord Marples – British Bitters and roast dinners have been a combo for many, many years and there is no reason to change such a great pairing. Perfectly roasted poultry with those mouth-watering caramel notes finds the perfect partner in Lord Marples with its sweet malty character, the beer’s light hoppy bite helps keep the palate refreshed.
Jaipur – the classic pairing for IPA, of course, is a great flavourful curry so you could save some of our Jaipur for boxing day and knock up all the leftover turkey into something inspired!
Bourbon Barrel Aged Necessary Evil – once you’re too full to eat much more our Bourbon Barrel aged stout works perfectly as a dessert by itself. Crack a bottle, share it (if you’re feeling generous), and savour it slowly from one of our tasting glasses. It’s beautifully complex with lots of dark fruit notes, a sweet but not cloying body, and notes of wood and vanilla; perfect for sipping and relaxing with after a successful Christmas day!
Written by James Buchanan
Export Champion – Selected by the Department for Business and Trade
Beer Sommelier – Accredited by the IBD
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UK’s leading Beer Writer, Pete Brown
18 years ago today, on the 7th of June 2005, Thornbridge Brewery, then based in the out buildings of Thornbridge Hall, brewed Jaipur for the first time.
It was like nothing else in the UK beer industry at the time. Following an array of awards and national recognition, Jaipur catapulted Thornbridge into the spotlight. From then on, Jaipur became our flagship beer.
Jaipur is now produced in all formats, Cask, keg, bottle, can and recently we re-introduced the 500ml Bottle Conditioned version. It has inspired other beers such as Jaipur DDH, and Jaipur X as well as many collaboration brews. We have even produced condiment sauces with Jaipur as an ingredient as well as becoming many drinkers favourite t-shirt, hats and socks
Check out the following video made by Jonny Garrett available on The Craft Beer Channel as well as the article "15 Years of Endless Summer — How Thornbridge Jaipur Changed British Beer" written by Jonny Garrett in 2020 in Good Beer Hunting
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January saw the release of our low-alcohol beer, Early Bird, which was a special release and quickly sold out. We also started on our journey to explore Single Hop beers and the Quiet Storm series was born. There has been an iteration of this beer every month this year and will continue on through 2023 as we are really pleased to have sourced some exciting new hop varieties to showcase!
In February we launched the ‘Year Of Beer’ for the second time as 2020 only lasted 2 months before COVID put paid to our ambitious plans and the On Trade was all but shut in 2021. Year Of Beer is a cask beer sign up where we release a brand new or ‘bring-back’ cask beer every month. Venues are invited to sign up to ensure they get a cask of what has become a very exclusive scheme as we only brew a single batch of the beer, so when its gone, its gone! This programme has been hugely successful and will continue in 2023.
2022 saw our second music themed collaboration in as many years. We teamed up with Rock City, the famous music venue in Nottingham and created an IPA aptly named ‘Rock City’ and it was launched on the same night that Bloc Party performed in May. This collaboration follows in the footsteps of our ongoing partnership with the iconic Leadmill venue in Sheffield to help support their plight to avoid being evicted by their landlord. #wecantloseleadmill continues to receive support so please sign the petition.
Come the summer time and we were fortunate enough to once again be invited to the Firestone Walker Invitational in Paso Robles, California. James and Alan from our Field Sales team headed over and had the time of their life!
Every July we celebrate the birthday of Jaipur, still our flagship beer and responsible for over 40% of what we produce annually. This year was the beers 17th Birthday, our baby is nearly grown up!
August was a BIG month for us. Peakender returned after 2 years of cancellations and guess what? It was the best Peakender yet! We can’t wait for Peakender 2023 and tickets are already on sale, so if you enjoy live music, great beer and a family friendly vibe, head to www.peakender.co.uk to get your tickets.
The year came to a close with the second year of the Thornbridge Advent Calendar. We jammed it full of 24 different beers and 3 items of merch, which at the time of writing this have been incredibly well received so far! Plans are already under way for the 2023 version which promises to have some incredible beers in it!
2022 has been an epic year and it was helped by brewing some amazing collaborations with the likes of Elusive, Neon Raptor, Pomona Island, Double Barrelled and Overtone to name but a few! As well as these great collaborations, we won a plethora of local, national and international awards for our own beers including ‘Best Flavoured Beer’ in the World at the World Beer Awards and a Gold Medal from the European Beer Challenge for Necessary Evil Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout. We also won Best Lager up to 5% at the International Beer Challenge for Bayern and we were awarded ‘UK Best Brewery’ at the International Beer Challenge.
Last but not least, none of this is possible without the ongoing support of all of you wonderful customers who continue to show your loyalty to Thornbridge, it is greatly appreciated. We hope we can continue to enjoy your ongoing loyalty in 2023, through what is likely to be the most challenging year the hospitality industry has ever seen. Rest assured, we will do our very best to keep producing beers that come with the same quality, value and consistency that you come to expect from us.
Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Thornbridge.
]]>Last Friday it was announced that we had been voted UK Brewer Of The Year by the International Beer Challenge which is an incredible testament to everybody hear at Thornbridge HQ!
Furthermore, we entered 5 beers in to the product categories and all 5 won Gold Medals and 2 of them were awarded trophies for ‘Best Lager Up To 5%’ and ‘Best Specialty Beer’ in the global categories.
Bayern – Gold Medal – Awarded Best Lager up to 5%
Necessary Evil Triple Sec Barrel Aged Stout – Gold Medal – Awarded Best Specialty Beer
Necessary Evil Calvados Barrel Aged Stout – Gold Medal
Necessary Evil Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout – Gold Medal
Bracia Bourbon Barrel Aged – Gold Medal
2022 has been an incredibly tough year for everybody in the brewing and hospitality industry with costs spiralling out of control and 2023 looking even bleaker for some. However, winning awards like this reminds us that we produce a consistently high quality product and with the incredible team we have at Thornbridge, we are confident we can continue to grow and innovate in 2023 and beyond.
Unfortunately we sold out very quickly of our stock of Bayern and Triple Sec Calvados when the results were published, but we still have limited availability of the other Gold Medal beers so why don't you try them in our Pick & Mix section which can be found here….
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We have listened to all of the feedback (where you mostly told us it was the best Peakender ever!) and worked out how we can make it even better than this year. We have made initial enquiries to suppliers and unsurprisingly, all of the costs associated with the event are going up but we won’t let that deter us.
If you sign up to our mailing list now, you can access an exclusive discount on entry tickets, valid until 4th December! So why not take advantage and treat yourself and anybody who loves live music and great beer in a child and dog friendly atmosphere to a day or a weekend in the sunshine…*
*We can’t promise the last part but our request was heard this year so no reason why it won’t happen again next year, especially as we have been extra good.
]]>Then you’re talking to the right people.
We have been brewing the best quality beer for over 17 years, and have all the merchandise to match. Here’s a guide to getting the beer fan in your life what they really want with the best Christmas beer gifts we have.
Gift packs are a wonderful way to share the best Thornbridge has to offer!
Is your loved one a beer connoisseur who enjoys the finer things? Send them a gift box: 330ml cans, 440ml cans or 330ml bottles packed with a stunning Teku glass, picking your own beer and stylish socks, packaged in a gorgeous slipcase.
Perhaps they like exploring new tastes and experiences? Our East V West gift set showcases our signature East Coast and West Coast IPAs with a cool craftmaster glass and is fantastic value at £9.
We celebrate out partnerships with more great value gift packs with both our Sheffield Wednesday and Peaky Blinders gift packs coming with exclusive glasses.
And there is still time to get our fantastic Advent Calendar delivered to your door for the 1st of December
Are they serious about food? Give them what they need to set their culinary world alight with our delicious hot sauce and barbecue sauce thanks to our friends at The Smokey Carter
Clothing
All of our apparel is sustainably sourced, so not only will your gift be stylish you can do so with a clear conscience.
We have incredible range of organic cotton t shirts to choose from, perfect for stylish dressing. Whether they want to show their love for Jaipur or our barrel aged range, whether they want a classic retro print or a wavey tie die, we have them covered (literally).
With winter coming, you might want to keep them cosy with some cuddly Thornbridge merch. Our Hoodies and Joggers are perfect for lounging around in front of a fire, and our beanies are great for keeping warm on icy days.
On the other end of the spectrum, if they are dedicated against being warm and comfortable, get them one of our cycling jerseys so they are at least visible as they cycle up and down mountains on a cold January morning.
And, of course, we have socks. Lots of socks. Socks are the perfect stocking filler and we have, arguably, the best beer themed socks in the world. If you have too many socks (if that is possible) then we have plenty of other stocking fillers from badges, bar blades, bottle openers and bobble hats
If the friend you are buying for is of the furry variety, then they too can be spoilt with a Jaipur branded collar and lead!
The Home Bar, Barware, Glassware and More
The perfect thing to drink a Thornbridge beer from is a proper Thornbridge glass, and we have the full range on our online shop. These are the same styles of glasses that we use in our own Taproom and Pubs. We have classic cask pints, fine tekus, and big, serious steins.
In fact, if your loved one wants to set up their own home bar, we can help you help them get it started!
Metal wall signs to set the mood, enamel bottle openers to preserve table edges everywhere, bar runners to pick up drops, Pump clips and beer mats to bring the pub experience back home. It can also be shared with a flights of thirds set in paddles for everyone to have a taste at your next bottle share.
And if they want to drink beer (or anything else) away from home, we have a lovely Thornbridge growler to fill up.
We do sell beer.
You could always buy them lots of beer? From cases, to build your own bundles, curated mixed beer cases, mini casks or even a 3 month subscription to our beer club
Whatever you decide to get your loved ones, have a
MERRY CHRISTMAS
from all of us at Thornbridge!
The brewery’s rescue is a collaboration between Tramlines co-founder and Sheffield venue owner James O’Hara, his brother and financial analyst Tom O’Hara, Simon Webster and Jim Harrison of renowned Thornbridge Brewery, Peter Donohoe, founder of Sheffield based creative studio Peter and Paul and Ben Rymer marketing manager from beer festival organisers, We Are Beer.
James O’Hara, who put the group together after hearing about the brewery’s closure, said: “Kelham Island Brewery, and its flagship beer Pale Rider, are known and revered beyond Sheffield. It’s heritage that we, as a city, should be really proud of. We couldn’t let that just disappear, it means too much within the city and to the UK’s beer culture for it to become another Wikipedia entry.”
A pioneer for the UK’s craft beer scene, Kelham Island Brewery has played a significant role in Sheffield’s brewing history and heritage. The brewery was founded in 1990 by Dave Wickett and was the first new independent brewery in Sheffield for over 100 years. From humble beginnings in the garden of the Fat Cat pub in Kelham Island it flourished, with many of its brewing talent going on to set up and work for the likes of Abbeydale, Thornbridge, Magic Rock, Bradfield and Brewdog.
Simon Webster from Thornbridge Brewery commented, “Kelham Island Brewery has always been linked with Thornbridge. They were the reason we started the business. Theirs were the first beers we brewed and Dave Wickett was a guiding hand in the early days of Thornbridge. When I first heard about the closure, I immediately thought, how can we help? How can we save the heritage that the Wickett Family had built? I chatted passionately about what we could do with James and we formulated a plan to try to save those great beers. I’m so pleased we have been successful. We’re looking forward to brewing the beers and keeping Kelham Island Brewery alive in Sheffield and beyond.”
Pale Rider, the brewery’s flagship beer, won the Champion Beer of Britain in 2004, it was the first winner to use hops from the USA and is still the only beer in South Yorkshire to have ever received the accolade.
Ben Rymer, who works for beer festival organisers We Are Beer, a celebration of all things in modern beer culture, said: “American hops form the backbone of the modern craft beer scene, but what Dave was doing was really revolutionary. He really went out on a limb at the time and was a true visionary. No one was setting up breweries back then and the craft beer industry as we know it now simply didn’t exist. The fact that Dave had to sell the beer he made in his own pub wasn’t about creating a scene, it was a necessity. Most pubs at the time were all owned by big pub companies.”
Jim Harrison from Thornbridge Brewery said: “Dave was a good friend and really understood beer and its regional variations. He understood that to be successful you needed to get your beer to people outside of the area. He was years ahead of his time and I’m so proud that we have been able to save these beers from being lost forever.”
Ed Wickett, former Kelham Island Brewery owner and son of founder Dave Wickett said: ‘I’m really pleased the brewery is in such safe hands. It’ll be great to serve Pale Rider in the Fat Cat again’
To hear more sign up at the Kelham Island Website
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Necessary Evil was first launched in 2018 when Production Director and Head Brewer, Rob Lovatt, was challenged by Thornbridge CEO, Simon Webster, to produce a beer inspired by Barrel Aged beers from across the pond including Brooklyn Black Ops, Founders KBS, Firestone Walker Parabola and Goose Island Bourbon County.
Rob set about producing a grist that was robust enough to stand up to the barrel ageing process but subtle and nuanced enough to have its own character so that it could be drunk ‘straight’ without barrel ageing. However, the ambition for a barrel aged beer led Rob to source some of the finest Bourbon barrels available on these shores, from Heaven Hill, an independently owned distillery nestled deep in Kentucky’s bourbon country. The need for casks still ‘wet’ meant that we needed to get the beer in to them as soon as feasibly possible after the whisky had been removed so that the barrel did not have a chance to dry out and lose a lot of the whisky character imparted in the wood.
In January 2018, Necessary Evil was brewed and filled in to 75 wet 200 litre casks and stored in the Thornbridge dunnage. From 6 weeks in, the casks were checked weekly for seepage and to sample the nectar within! After 8 months it was concluded that the beer was at its optimum flavour profile in terms of the original beer being enhanced by the barrel ageing. At that stage, the original 2018 vintage was bottled and went on to sell out in a matter of weeks leading us to ramp up production for the following annual vintages.
By 2021, the beer had won a string of National and international awards and was widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading barrel aged beers. It had also been exported to no less than 26 markets around the world including most of Europe, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico and Thailand. It was at this stage that the decision was made to push the Barrel Ageing programme on. Sales and Marketing Director, Dom Metcalfe, decided the brand had established itself well enough to start bringing out variants and set about looking for some interesting spirit barrels from around the world to age the Imperial Stout. In early 2022, Necessary Evil Cognac was launched closely followed by a Caribbean Rum version! The former very quickly picked up a Bronze Award in the ‘Best UK Wood Aged Beer’ category at the World Beer Awards and the latter took silver in the same category…. No prizes for guessing what took Gold… Bourbon Barrel Aged Necessary Evil.
CEO, Simon Webster commented – ‘Necessary Evil is gradually becoming as iconic as Jaipur for us. The original Bourbon version has won so many National and International awards in recent years and the latest variants including Cognac, Triple Sec and Caribbean Rum have also received multiple awards and high acclaim. This gives us the confidence to push on with the programme and invest in more exciting barrels from around the world to keep up with consumer demand’.
Thornbridge have two other brand new Necessary Evil variants which will be released later in 2022. If you want to try the World’s Best and other variants, head to the Thornbridge website.
After a 2 year hiatus thanks to COVID-19, Peakender will return for 2022 and it will be bigger and better than previous years. We have been working very hard behind the scenes for the past few months to assess the financial viability of putting on our flagship event and despite the fact that the accountants think its madness, we are forging on regardless!
You will find all the details about dates, ticket prices, beer, music, camping etc in the below link. Just as a heads up, for those of you who have previously attended, you will see that the ticketing structure and price has changed since 2019.
Peakender has never been about making money (we have never even broken even), it’s all about putting on a great event for our loyal customers, friends and family and this year will be no different.
Despite our best efforts to negotiate with suppliers and contractors, there have been inevitable price increases. We have done our best to absorb these increases where possible in order to ensure we can continue to put on the event but unavoidably we need to pass on some of these increases. However, we do still believe it is one of the best value events on the festival circuit.
The ticketing structure has also changed. For those of you camping with us for the weekend or staying on site in a live in vehicle, you will need to ensure you book your pitch separately to your festival ticket – there is no longer an ‘all in one’ option. For more information on the new ticket types and other FAQs check out this page – we’d recommend giving it a read before booking!
Tickets rolled over from 2020 or 2021 will all still be valid for the 2022 event. We really appreciate your dedication to the event and your faith in us over the past 2 years.
We look forward to seeing you there come rain (probably) or shine (hopefully)!
Team Thornbridge
]]>Necessary Evil Coffee is a single origin coffee, aged in the same bourbon barrels in which we age our legendary Imperial Stout. This gives the coffee an incredibly complex and sophisticated flavour profile, from the whiskey, the beer and the beans themselves.
After brewing the base beer of Necessary Evil, we poured it into real bourbon whiskey barrels we sourced from Kentucky, and aged it for 8 months, carefully monitoring it’s progress to make the perfect Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. When the beer is ready, we give the barrels to SeaMoor to work their magic.
The beans used in this coffee are Red Bourbon coffee beans, sourced from the Izuba washing station in Kabaroe, Burundi. Before roasting, the still green beans are aged for 16 days in the barrels, allowing them to absorb the flavours and aromas of the beer and bourbon that once were there. The fruity lychee and pomegranate character of the beans are elevated by the ageing process, and the coffee takes on notes of vanilla, oak, dark chocolate and roasted malt. The end result is a spectacular coffee, to be savoured and cherished.
We have seen this process used to remarkable effect overseas, as a few US breweries and roasteries have collaborated by using beer and bourbon barrels to age coffee. Modern Times is one example of a brewery that doubles as a roastery, creating their own beer and bourbon barrel aged coffee. With our own ongoing barrel projects, and with such a great roastery on our doorstep, we could not ignore this chance to innovate.
Both SeaMoor and we are fiercely proud of our place in the Peak District, which serves as a constant source of inspiration for what we do. We try to hearken back to our rugged surrounds in our drinks, and capture nature in truly natural ingredients, whether they are hops and malt or single origin coffee beans.
]]>Every iteration of Quiet Storm will be a 5.5% pale ale brewed with the same malt, the same yeast and the same process.
In fact, the only difference between these beers will be the hop we use to make it. This seemingly minor change, however, will be enough to make these beers taste completely different.
]]>With pubs reopening and a return to normal hopefully not too far on the horizon, things are starting to look up for cask. We certainly think so, and that's why we're unveiling our plans for a cask Year of Beer for 2022.
Started in 2017, Year of Beer is a project where we announce a new draught beer for every month of the year. Originally envisioned as a way to give trade customers and consumers the means to plan ahead months in advance, it quickly evolved into something more ambitious: a showcase of the range of Thornbridge’s output, and an opportunity for our Brewing team to explore and innovate with different styles.
The rise of Covid-19 and national lockdowns in the UK seriously affected our huge plans for our 15th Anniversary in 2020, where we had planned a year of highly innovative keg beer and cask collaborations with the best and brightest of British brewing. The continued stresses of the pandemic prevented a Year of Beer announcement for 2021, so 2022 will be a return to form, being a brewery that has always pioneered craft and cask beer.
You’ve already seen Hacksaw, an East Coast IPA with all the haziness and tropical fruit flavours that entails, and you might have had a chance to try the return of Twin Peaks, an Anglo American pale ale that when it was first released in 2013, was California brewing legend Sierra Nevada’s first UK collaboration. The lineup for the rest of the year will go from strength to strength, as we'll be putting out everything from a Golden Mild to a Pina Colada pale, by way of returning cult favourite ice cream porter Salted Caramel Lucaria. Perhaps most excitingly, we've has teamed up with rising star of Mexican Brewing, Cervecera Macaria, to create Carlota, a Mole inspired Chili Chocolate Mexican Stout, in time for Cinco de Mayo. This is a truly excellent year for drinkers of cask beer.
Simon Webster, our Chief Executive Officer says:
“Cask beer has always been in our DNA, from our very earliest days brewing at the hall to today. The last couple of years have unfortunately required us to make less of it than we’d have liked, but that’s why we’re all the more excited to get it into people’s hands this year. We’re so lucky to have such a talented team of brewers working for us and such an enthusiastic audience ready to sample their creations, and hopefully this Year of Beer will do them all proud.”
But cask is not all in our future. Our market leading craft beer subscription Thornbridge Beer Club continues to grow at a steady rate, augmenting our online shop that saw an explosion of business during lockdown. This is boosted by our growing output of packaged beer, including brand new projects and series that have been gaining momentum already. Combine that with the recently launched Thornbridge Experience at our Taproom and brewery in Bakewell, and it looks like have much more to give in 2022.
Read on for more information about the upcoming beers:
Pica Pica – 4.8% Oatmeal Stout
This is a classic Thornbridge cask beer from the archives. It pours a rich, deep black and white in colour so we thought the name Pica Pica (scientific name for a Magpie) suited perfectly. Expect a balanced sweetness throughout with notes of roasted nuts and coffee.
Block Island – 5.7% Hazy IPA
A brand new offering in our range, Block Island is named after an idyllic getaway just off the New England coast. It pours a light gold colour with an enticing haziness to it, we use a huge amount of American hops and the pleasant tropical aromas can be noticed even as the beer is being poured. Mango, pineapple and guava flavours all burst forth with a great rounded mouthfeel, this type of beer is known for its soft and pillowy body and with the cask conditioning this becomes even more pronounced.
Carlota – 7% Mexican Stout
Carlota is a smooth, spicy stout inspired by the magical cuisine of Mexico and created with Cervecera Macaria. This is a complex beer which uses 7 different malts in the grist and as well as hops, we infuse cocoa husks, cinnamon sticks, chipotle chillies and ancho chillies. Fermented using a Mexican lager strain of yeast, during the maturation phase we add vanilla, more cinnamon and a prodigious amount of ancho, pasilla and mulato chillies, known as the ‘holy trinity’ of Mole Poblano – Mexico’s national dish. More chipotles are used for a touch of heat and smokiness. No Mole Poblano would be complete without an indulgent addition of chocolate, so cacao nibs are also blended in to complete the recipe. The resulting beer is a rich celebration of warming spice, raisiny sweetness and chocolate goodness.
Rattlesnake – 6.5% West Coast IPA
We love brewing West Coast IPAs and appreciate how well they work in beautifully conditioned cask beer. Rattlesnake is a great example of this and it’s absolutely packed with classic hops from the USA, the aroma is all grapefruit and pine leading to a fantastic display of flavour across the palate with lemon, melon and lychee all coming to the fore. It’s perfectly balanced with a malty sweetness in the body, and a refreshing bitter bite to finish.
Escape – 5% Pina Colada Pale
What better way to celebrate the height of summer than with a Pina Colada Pale! Escape is a brand new beer and we really wanted to have some fun with this one, it explodes with a resplendent bouquet of tropical fruit including of course huge notes of pineapple and coconut. It’s fresh, fruity and the perfect complement to a summers day relaxing outside.
Gold – 3.6% Golden Mild
We’ve been very excited to see Milds rightfully regain their popularity amongst British brewers and drinkers, particularly as we really enjoy making them! Gold uses a range of all English ingredients carefully selected to work in harmony, they create a fantastically sessionable ale with flavours of caramel and marmalade combining with a light spiciness from the hop addition.
Fresh Hops – 4%
Every year we celebrate the hop harvest with new beers brewed using the best and freshest varieties! This year will be no different and we want to ensure we can get the best ones possible, we’ll be working on this with the hop farms through the year, and be confirming the best ones closer to the time.
Tapit – 6% Chocolate Orange Stout
Tapit is made to be savoured and truly enjoyed while being seated in a cosy chair, in a local pub, right in the heart of winter. Its deep black appearance is inviting and the orange works in fantastic tandem with the robust stout body, the dark malts introduce notes of luxurious dark chocolate and espresso. This is a real treat of a beer.
For enquiries please email sales@thornbridge.co.uk or call 01629 815 999.
]]>Here at Thornbridge, we now produce ‘gluten free’ beers – AM:PM and Satzuma. You may have noticed from the back label that the beers were produced with barley and wheat and didn’t use non-gluten cereals such as sorghum or millet. So how do we do it?
We actually add a proline-specific enzyme called Brewers Clarex at the start of fermentation, which breaks down the gluten proteins into harmless peptides. It only attacks the gluten proteins and doesn’t affect the more desirable proteins such as those responsible for head retention. In fact, the enzyme has no effect on the flavour or the quality of the beer. With the correct process of addition and addition rate, the enzyme reduces levels of gluten to below 20ppm, so it complies with the law on gluten free labelling. Every test we have carried out on Satzuma and AM:PM has come in under 10ppm, so we can confidently label these as ‘Gluten Free’. We continue to test these beers regularly using an accredited laboratory and carefully assess how we produce them, so we can be confident they are safe as possible for coeliacs. It is worth noting that some coeliacs cannot consume even beer labelled as ‘gluten free’, as even anything under 10ppm can still cause them problems, whilst some people who are gluten intolerant can consume as much ‘gluten free’ beer as they like without suffering any symptoms. It all depends on the individual.
We have also had some of our other beers tested, namely Jaipur and Lukas. These also came under 20ppm! We have found, that with the correct recipe formulation and optimisation of the process, that it is possible to make legally ‘gluten free’ beer without using Brewers Clarex. This is likely to be because we brew these beers to be as bright as possible – we optimise the copper finings process, lauter as carefully as we can and basically produce the beer to be clear in the glass. However, it’s important to note that we are not declaring these beers to be ‘Gluten Free’, as we do not test them regularly or use Brewers Clarex in their production.
Added Note : Since this article was written, Lukas has also become Gluten Free
06/01/2023 : Bayern is now certified Gluten Free
Dominic Driscoll, Production Manager
]]>Like most of our beers, many of these were first released through Thornbridge Beer Club. Members of Beer Club were the first people to get their hands on Thieves Road or Bumpy Road, respectively the Azacca pale and DIPA we made with Amity Brew Co and Beak Brewery.
West Coast IPAs are something of our speciality, and we worked to make a number of them this year! We made Karabel with Basqueland Brewing, Dancing Horses with Track Brewing Co, Riffle with Burnt Mill Brewery and I Do Not Seek, I Find with Newtown Park Brewing Co.
Like most of the nation, we also love lager. Lagers we made this year include Hay Bale (an India PAle Lager made with Lakes Brew Co), Constance (a noble Pilsner made with Braybooke Beer Co) and Gelbvieh (a Kellerbier made with New Barns Brewery)
Our Never Ordinary collection showcases our special and unusual beers, and many of them were made with friends. This year we made Zingiber with Young Master Ales, an orange, ginger and star anise mixed fermentation sour. We also made Secret World with Saint Mars of the Desert, a Belgian style dopplebock.
Simple Things Fermentations have something of a history with us, as Phil Sissons their founder won the 2016 Great British Home Brew competition with Raindrops on Roses, a rose petal wit. We brought back this stunning beer this year, and collaborated with him again to make Whiskers on Kittens, a chocolate Dunkel Weisse.
For many of our collaborations this year, we had a sort of brewery exchange. We brewed one beer, and our friends brewed another. With Manchester brewery Squawk we brewed a pair of pales using the same malt grist, they brewed Condor using Northern Hemisphere hops and we brewed Dotterel with Southern Hemisphere hops. We joined forces with Deya Brewing Company to combine our signature beers to make Steady on the Jaips, a DIPA with an epic 9 varieties of hops, as well as a single hopped hazy simcoe pilsner. Rivington Brewing Co worked with us to make the table beer Paparahua and the American brown ale Boise Brown.
Sometimes, we went to our friends to brew with their kit instead. We went to Southwold juggernaut Adnams to make Nevermore, an India Porter that combined elements of their Ghost Ship and our Wild Raven. Siren Craft Brew worked with us to make Invisible Deck, a white stout, and we went to Cornwall to see Harbour Brewing about making the DIPA Scratching the Surface.
We strengthened our partnerships with local sports icons like Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield FC and Joe Root with our tie in beers The Wednesday Pale ale, 1857 pale ale and Root 66 English IPA. For the latter of which we donated its profits to Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity. Other charity beers of ours included Florence pale ale and I Love You Will U Marry Me strawberry blonde ale, which donated profits to NHS Charities Together and Mind.
We also worked with some fantastic restaurants and venues. Indian Street Food heroes Bundobust have recently opened their own brewery, so we had to come together to make cask hazy pale Impromptu Ladder Convention. Iconic Sheffield venue The Leadmill wanted their own perfect gig beer, so we came to their aid creating Leadmill IPA for them. We of course continued to work with London legends Brigadiers and Tonkotsu, creating their Fourth Rifles pale and Mikan Shimoda satsuma pale.
For some of the collaborations we made this year, the only way to drink them was to find them in a pub! Heart and Graft are a coffee roastery, and is also of the name of the coffee porter we made with their coffee. Beacon is a US Brown we made with Neptune Brewery, designed from its inception to be cask only. Mosaic and Azacca are a pair of fresh hopped session pales each using a single fresh hop from Yakima Chief, and they are only available on cask.
As you can see, we have worked with a lot of exciting people this year to make a lot of very good beer. We hope you got to try a couple of them on the way. We already have a long list of collaborations lined up for next year, so keep your eyes peeled for news!
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]]>The first beer we ever produced was a cask beer: Lord Marples is a classic bitter intended to be drunk in the most classic of ways, and is still a staple. On the subject of staples, our legendary IPA Jaipur started as cask, and although is now available every way under the sun, is still a cask beer through and through.
Real ale is a traditional style of beer, and Thornbridge loves being part of that proud tradition. One of our year round core ales, Brother Rabbit, is a classic golden ale. Aquila and Made North are both golden bitters, the latter made in the Manchester style. Ashford is a brown ale, named after the location of Thornbridge Hall and Hopton is an English pale ale, brewed with Kentish hops.
Talking of pale ales, Thornbridge is famous for them! Our cask pales are an incredible source of pride. Crackendale and Peverel are enduringly popular pales that use a single US hop to devastating effect, Citra for the former and Mosaic for the latter. Similarly, Kipling was the first UK beer to use New Zealand hop Nelson Sauvin, which is now a key ingredient of exciting pales nationwide. Two cask beers of ours that use this wonderful hop are New World pale Lumford and a very special pale called Otter’s Tears, brewed in memory of legendary beer writer Simon Johnson. We also have had two very sessionable and perennially popular pales on cask this year, hazy juicy pale Astryd and white gold pale ale Wild Swan, two beers people are constantly demanding.
Dark beer on cask is like black gold, and we have had some phenomenal dark beers this year. Year round core porters Market Porter and Cocoa Wonderland of course made a showing with their roasty, chocolatey goodness, and we saw some returning luxury with vanilla stout McConnels. Finally we had some big serious stouts for purists, like creamy stout Brock and the iconic Russian Imperial stout St. Petersburg.
Christmas was a magical time for cask this year, with not one, not two, but three cask exclusive Christmas beers made this year. Merrie was a spiced winter ale that was available exclusively from our Thornbridge & Co venues. Knack was a dark mild with flavours of nut and toffee like the Swedish Christmas treat that is its namesake. Tomte was a “juleøl”, a traditional Scandinavian Christmas beer made with orange peel, cloves and vanilla, named after the Christmas spirit of Scandinavian folklore.
Our cask beer range gave us some great opportunities to collaborate with some really exciting companies. Bundobust, famous for their Indian Street Food, having recently opened a brewery of their own, collaborated with us to make Impromptu Ladder Convention, a Hazy pale ale. Hop merchants supreme Yakima Chief sent us their best fresh frozen hops, which we used to brew two fresh hopped session pales, Mosaic and Azacca. We worked with top Merseyside brewery Neptune to make US Brown ale Beacon, which was wonderful. We also continued to make the official beer of BBC TV smash hit Peaky Blinders, with a traditional English IPA inspired by the era of the show. We’re looking forward to series 6 next year!
In celebration of International Women’s Day this year, we took part in International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day, and brewed the citrus pale ale Clementia. The brewers who led on this project, Alice Murphy and Rachel Green, were inspired by the theme of this year’s collaboration: compassion. Clementia is the Roman goddess of compassion, whose name is reminiscent of the orange varietal clementine, leading them to use Citra hops and orange peel in the brew which gave the beer delicious citrus aromas.
This year, sadly, the pub trade took a serious hit. Repeated lockdowns, virus outbreaks and a public that was understandably nervous about returning to normal. A number of wonderful pubs were forced to close, and many others had to radically change in order to stay afloat. This had a knock on effect on breweries too, for many of whom their primary source of trade was pubs. From January to May of 2021 pubs were closed under lockdown orders and that is why there are fewer cask beers here than we would normally produce. We are hopeful of the future though, and we hope that you will seek these and any future beers out, and support your local pubs.
As we said up top, Cask is King, so we are looking forward to flooding the cellars of the UK with more cask ale next year, so watch this space to find out about what's coming next.
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]]>This year, members of Thornbridge Beer Club had access to a number of beers not available anywhere else. Bracia, our dark ale made with Italian chestnut honey, was named best strong beer in the midlands at the SIBA Independent Beer Awards 2021, and was exclusive to members of Beer Club. As were returning masterpieces Rye IIPA Geminus and pale ale Otter’s Tears. Beer club being for our most dedicated of fans, some of our exclusive beers showcased our signature style: American IPAs. Chiron, Bear State and Huck were 3 American IPAs of increasing strength and complexity that were exclusive to members. For the same reason, Beer Club gave us an opportunity to offer supercharged versions of our most popular beers to their most ardent admirers: Valravn was an Imperial version of Black IPA (and one time TBC excluisve) Wild Raven and Jaipur X, our Imperial interpretation of our all time classic Jaipur. Not to be outdone by the old guard, brand new collaborations with Basqueland Brewing and Amity Brew Co, IPA Karabel and Azacca pale Thieves Road, were both Beer Club exclusive as well.
On the subject of collaborations, we have had a fair few this year. There is already another article up that goes through what we’ve done this year, and (spoiler alert) there are a lot of them. Most of them were first made available through Thornbridge Beer Club. These include two beers each from the collab exchanges we made with Deya, Rivington and Squawk, and two wheat beers, one old and one new, made with Simple Things Fermentations. Go on, read the full article. It’ll go through everything. This one will be here when you get back!
Beer Club has given us the opportunity to share beers normally only available on cask (here’s another article that will give you a good read). Long time lords of cask were given a new lease of life with bottle conditioned versions of Lord Marples, Brother Rabbit, Wild Swan, Hopton and Crackendale. This meant that, even when pubs were sadly closed, you could still enjoy our classics.
Beer Club also gave us a chance to experiment. We put out new versions of iconic beers, right beside the lauded originals. As well as our wonderful Imperial stout Pardus, we shared raspberry chocolate, cherry chocolate, chocolate orange and creme brulee versions. We didn’t just put Imperial IPA Halcyon in members’ boxes, we put pink grapefruit and blood orange versions in there too. We played with CBD oil and Kveik yeast in Lucid Lupulus and Hordaland, and recreated a mojito in the form of a sour beer with Kuba.
Our phenomenal barrel ageing project got a look in as well, as our most exciting barrel aged beers showed up to the party. Multi award winning gin barrel aged sour Mother’s Ruin was part of January’s box, as was gin barrel aged saison Mind Games. Our infamous and iconic bourbon barrel aged imperial stout Necessary Evil made a showing not once but twice (and if you liked this, you should see what we have lined up next year).
Perhaps most important to Thornbridge Beer Club were our seasonal beers, and favourites old and new. Pacific pales Valerio and Kipling were there, as was our hazy American pale Bliss Point. American amber ale Sequoia and its beefy Imperial big brother General Sherman both made an appearance, as did joyous and vibrant IPA Absideon. Medici, our India Brown Ale was included, alongside chocolate Imperial stout Sugar Spun Sister. And it wouldn’t have been Christmas without Yule, the strong Scotch ale we included in the December box to cap a terrific year of beer.
But it wasn’t just beer you would have enjoyed. No sir! New joiners received a craft master glass and an exclusive pin badge, while 12 box veterans were sent a stunning member exclusive tasting glass. Throughout the year boxes contained other goodies, like a Lukas stein, socks, a book on beer/food pairings and more! Of course, on your birthday, your box would have had an extra treat of your favourite beer and ours: Jaipur.
Thornbridge Beer Club is our monthly love letter to beer and everybody who loves it as much as us, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for joining and sharing it with us. We are so excited for next year, and have already announced the contents of January’s box! 2022 is going to be another great year for beer, and we hope you’ll stick with us for the ride.
If you haven’t joined us yet, why not join today and get your hands on January’s terrific box? It only costs £30 a month, and has countless other benefits. Read here to find out more.
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]]>One thing that has changed hugely in the last couple of years is the growth of our online shop. More and more of you have opted to buy your mixed beer cases and crates of Jaipur direct from us, and our online shop went from a relatively small operation at the beginning of last year to a thriving part of our business! We are directing more and more of our energies to making the best brewery shop it can be, bringing you more and more choice as we do. Moving forward, we hope you’ll continue to get your beer direct from the source!
An aspect of our Online Shop that has changed most this year is our beer subscription service. Started at the end of last year, Thornbridge Beer Club has grown exponentially since. As of today, we have over 1000 members, and have included over 70 unique beers in the monthly boxes over the last year. We’ve written a little something about those beers here, and we’re sure you’ll agree that it has been some year! Why not get in on the action yourself and join now?
Because of lockdowns and pub closures, cask conditioned ale has not had the presence in people’s lives it has had in other years. But we, like many others, still held a torch for cask this year. There’s just nothing like a proper pint. Read here to find out more about what cask beers we did this year, and make sure to keep your eyes out for them in pubs!
We have been thrilled by the amount of new talent in the beer industry recently, and even more excited about getting the chance to share ideas with them. This year we have worked with a veritable army of other companies, from brewers on the cutting edge and genuine legends of craft to companies that aren’t even in the beer industry at all. Overall, we have sold over 50 unique collaborative beers this year, and you can read all about them here.
Of course, over a year of excitement and innovation, we mustn’t forget our core beers. The beers that put us on the map, and keep us there. Lukas, our Helles lager, remains an exceptional example of the style that acts as a gateway craft beer across the country. Allott, our core pink lemonade sour, converts people who never thought they would like beer, let alone craft beer! Astryd, Green Mountain and Jamestown are modern, juicy, hazy pale ales that are full of hops and flavour, showing the remarkable things that can be done with just 4 ingredients. Lord Marples, Market Porter, Tzara and Brother Rabbit on the other hand prove that sometimes you don’t have to mess with tradition, because what works really works. Zero Five and AM:PM show that craft beer is for everyone, even if they avoid alcohol or gluten. Halcyon and Cocoa Wonderland remain delicious, luxurious beers years after their inception. DDH Jaipur shows that even perfection likes to be improved upon. And Jaipur is Jaipur. We think you know about Jaipur by now.
So, let us say Thank You to everyone who made 2021 as extraordinary as it was. Thank you to our brewers, for coming up with these incredible beers and making them as delicious as they are. Thank you to our teams in packaging, online and logistics who made sure the beer made its way safely to pubs and and the public. Thank you to everyone working in pubs across the country, both ours and others. Thank you suppliers for your wonderful hops, grain, yeast and more. Thank you to everyone we had the privilege to work with this year.
And thanks to you, the drinker. For supporting us and drinking our beer. From the first pint of Lord Marples, to the last barrel of Necessary Evil, and every can of Jaipur and Green Mountain in between. We literally would not exist without you.
Here’s to many years to come!
]]>We're kicking off this Blog series by Introducing you to our Marketing Manager, Rebekah Wadham.
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Marketing Manager
How long have you worked for Thornbridge/ how did you end up here?
I’ve been at Thornbridge since December 2017. I moved to Leeds for university and ended up working for a well-known craft beer bar in Headingley, I fell in love with the beer industry as well as the people in it.
I worked in a number of PR roles after graduating but when I became a mum I gravitated back to the beer industry as (oddly enough!) working in hospitality gave me the opportunity to spend more time with my daughter and I realised I’d missed working with beer.
Fast forward to Summer 2017 and I was looking to relocate to Sheffield, a Marketing role came up for Thornbridge and the rest, as they say, is history.
What do you like about working at Thornbridge?
It might sound like a cliché but people come first at Thornbridge. We have a great team and there is very much a feeling of togetherness. I’ve always found this to be something pretty unique to the beer industry and it’s a big part of what made me gravitate back.
Recently I’ve had a battle with depression and anxiety and have had the best support I could’ve asked for, not only from my managers but also the team around me. People go out of their way to support each other and it makes it a fantastic place to work.
My job role means I get out and about a lot too which is ace, I worked at 14 different beer festivals last year which was a lot of fun.
Favourite Thornbridge beer and Why?
Such a tough one. I have to say Jaipur on cask – it’s got a special place in my heart. When I first started drinking beer there wasn’t quite the selection there is nowadays (that makes me sound about 90 but the beer industry has moved fast!) I stuck to dark beers to begin with as I found they had more depth and flavour. When I first tasted Jaipur it opened up a whole new world of beer for me.
Favourite UK Beer Festival?
Give me a P, give me an E, give me an A give me a K…. as if I’d miss the chance to give Peakender a plug! It really is an awesome festival though, there’s something for everyone from 1 to 100.
We have got an absolutely smashing line up of breweries, entertainment and food this year plus so much more. We can’t wait to reveal the full line up for this year’s festival. Great vibes guaranteed.
I should give London Craft Beer Festival and Liverpool Craft Beer Expo honourable mentions though. They were my two favourite festivals to work last year. The venue for London Craft Beer was amazing and it had an incredible vibe! As for Liverpool, we had such a ball and the crowd were so friendly. Leeds International too as its like coming home for me, there's just too many to choose from!
In the spirit of International Women’s Day who is your Female hero?
It’s a tough call between Anna Whitehouse (Founder of Mother Pukka) or Bryony Gordon. Anna Whitehouse is doing amazing things for parents, opening up discussion around flexible working and striving for a better and more equal working world. Bryony Gordon gave me the confidence to open up about my Mental Health and helped me to recognise it doesn’t define or limit me.
The theme for International Women’s Day this year is ‘Balance for Better’, all about creating a gender balanced world, how will you create a balance for better?
For me it’s about everyone having an equal opportunity to achieve. Raising my daughter means I will always challenge anyone who stereotypes her, I will allow her to grow and work out who she wants to be. Right now sometimes she’s ‘Elsa’, sometimes she’s ‘Batman’, sometimes she’s ‘Mummy’ and all of that is ok! I let her know she can be whoever she wants to be and she will always have my full support.
I’ll also always call out ANYONE who thinks drinking receptacles have genders. I’ve heard the phrase “I don’t want it in a girl’s glass” more times than I care to remember. You’ve been warned.
]]>Settle into your comfiest chair, take out your finest piece of glassware, and open today's door. Crack open your beer and take notice of how it pours. Watch how the bubbles form at the head as you hold up your glass to the light to see the colours shining through. Swirl your glass and take a deep breath through your nose, taking in all of the complex aromas that the hops are giving off. Take a small amount into your mouth and swish it around, letting the beer dance across your tongue. Do you taste tropical fruit? Chocolate? Toffee malts? Citrussy hops? What does it remind you of? Your first beer, your first kiss? Holidays in the pacific, Christmas at your parents? Craft beer can capture memories and tell stories, and you are here to experience it all!
OR you can open your beer up and drink it as is. Relax with a proper, good beer and have a jolly old time with friends, food or just whatever's on telly.
There's no right or wrong way to experience this Advent Calendar!
Every day, we will be revealing what beer we will be drinking today, both here and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We will be giving you a little background on the beer, some tasting notes, and telling you what went into it.
We hope you'll join us on this little Christmas adventure into craft beer!
]]>We closely monitor feedback on Beer Club membership and ask for feedback on any cancellations. One thing we have noticed in the past couple of months is that nearly all of the cancellations are for one of the following reasons – ‘have too much beer already’, ‘don’t have the funds currently’ or ‘returning to pubs so not drinking as much at home’.
With the return of pubs, bars and restaurants and the feedback that we’ve been given, we have decided to reduce the monthly membership to £30 with immediate effect. Therefore, the next payment taken on the 1st of July will be for £30.
The very essence of the box will continue with all of our new releases, collabs and the occasional classic but there will just be fewer beers in total. Whereas previously the retail value of the box was £50 (charged at £40), it will now have a retail value of £40 (charged at £30). Delivery included.
All the great membership perks will continue including 15% off all subsequent orders, a birthday gift on us, a great ‘members only’ glass on your one-year anniversary (which we have just ordered, and it looks great!) etc. Absolutely nothing will change other than the fact you have more money in your bank account each month (due to the lower subscription fee) and will receive slightly fewer beers.
We hope this change is seen as a positive step for Beer Club and we look forward to sending out your July box in a few weeks’ time. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, let us know! Contact us at – beerclub@thornbridge.co.uk
]]>53 Degrees North, Buxton
This place first caught my attention when I saw it pop up on my Facebook and I found their Facebook gallery very appealing. Log fires and food to die for on display, I couldn’t wait to visit for the first time. Jaipur permanently on, a gin club for my partner, allow dogs, fantastic service – this place is a no brainer. One of my favourites.
Packhorse Inn, Little Longstone
My family live a 10 minute drive away so this place always comes in handy when telling your parents where to take you for tea. The food here is amazing. Bangers and mash is one of my favourite dishes. It also offers tapas, starters, mains and desserts, as well as a lengthy supply of Thornbridge beer to wash it down with. With this in mind and the fact that it’s beautiful inside and out, the Packhorse is definitely a place to visit.
Devonshire Arms, Beeley
Lovely picturesque pub on the Chatsworth estate. A historic place with bags of character. Great range of guest beers and of course there’s a few Thornbridge on frequently. This is always somewhere I suggest to the family to go and stay when visiting Bakewell. The rooms are pristine and in a great location for walks around the estate, it's also an easy drive to Bakewell and Matlock. There is such a warm feeling to it. The staff are great; it’s just got everything you need.
Flying Childers, Stanton in Peak
If anyone has been to this little village, you would have definitely been into the Flying Childers as it’s the only pub there! It’s also won quite a few awards in its time. This place has to be a favourite of mine for these reasons… 100 yards from my parents front door (if that!), occasionally have Jaipur on, they have a snug where all the dogs and locals sit who put up with me petting them…that includes the locals too not just the dogs.
Christmas is my favourite time to go here. Everyone piles in from the village, you can’t move, we’re all crammed in like sardines and it’s brilliant! The fire is burning away, there’s usually a decent guest beer on or Jaipur, everybody is so welcoming and just having a jolly good time. Thanks Stuart and Mandy!
Barley Mow, Bonsall
Now then, you are in for an absolute treat if you’ve never been to the Barely Mow in Bonsall before. One of the things it’s famous for is its hen racing. Hundreds of people come from all over to witness these competitive creatures launch themselves across the car park once a year to the finish line, just hilarious. One other reason as to why it’s probably so popular are its owners, Collette and Mick. I don’t really know how to put this other than there is NEVER a dull moment with them. They know exactly what they’re doing, they bring so much character and colour to the place and always make it a memorable visit. Over from the pub is their newest venture – Chickenfoot Brewery. Producing great beer at such a young start, it's flying out of their bar! Still buying in from us at Thornbridge and seeing their own brewed beer on taps is the best combination for me. A fantastic pub, a must visit, I’m going to say this place is always my first choice.
Lucy Brooks, Sales and Marketing Assistant
]]>I have put together some handy tips I’ve picked up from my time on the road to share with you;
Power - Invest in a good battery pack that does a few charges, you’ll certainly need your phone wherever your destination is.
Files - Make sure your necessary files are accessible; I use a lot of Power Points so I’ll save these on my laptop, tablet, phone, flash drive, and send a we-transfer to my email so I can download them again if needed.
Apps! – In cities that use it, Uber is brilliant - no cash required and really makes it easy to find your way around. Airline apps are great too, saves printing lots of paperwork and carrying tickets around.
Refilling – I’ve got Psoriasis and use a lot of moisturiser so before each trip I make sure to refill my 100ml bottle, much cheaper than buying at the airport!
Smoothly does it – If you have a shirt that took a beating on the flight, hang it in the bathroom before you take a shower and the steam will help get those pesky creases out.
Noise Cancelling Headphones – I wasn’t too convinced at the idea (or the price) originally but now I can’t travel without these. They’re fantastic whilst on transport and really help when you need to focus on work in a noisy environment.
Podcasts – When spending a lot of time alone on the road, Podcasts can help keep you sane. ‘Stuff You Should Know’ is my current go-to, explaining everything you’d ever need to know about all manner of things from bonsai trees, to giraffes, to pizzas.
More Power – Hotels and airports love to have a very limited amount of plug sockets, a single plug with 2 or more USB sockets allows you to charge multiple items at once.
Beer! – The most important part, make sure you look out for the best offerings on your route. Cask Jaipur is a must in Terminal One of Manchester Airport and can be found at The Grain Loft. A great train station bar, like the Sheffield Tap, is always a brilliant pit-stop too.
And finally, if you are out travelling the world and spot our beer, please make sure to tweet us about it!
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