James Porter certainly rates as one of Burton’s lesser known brewers, which is why it is interesting that one of his recipes has been re-imagined by Heritage Brewing Co. who are based at the National Brewery Centre. This is perfectly in keeping with the brewery’s mission to recreate old beers for a modern audience; other ales from Heritage are Charrington IPA, Offilers Best Bitter and of course Masterpiece which is based on Worthington White Shield.
Porter bought his Dale Street brewery from the Bryan Brothers around 1879, as he was a partner in Liverpool brewer Sykes and living in Everton, he left the running of the business James Porter & Sons, to his two oldest sons John and Frederick.
The newly re-imagined beer X Porter, along with the likes of XX Porter Strong Ale, No. 1, No. 2 … is at least 130 years old as records exist of it being produced in 1889 and it was likely sold in Porter’s only Burton pub The Millwright Arms on New Street.
The Dale Street brewery closed following the purchase of Robinson’s Brewery, where James’ younger son Gerald would later become a Director. James Porter’s Grandson, also called James, joined Newcastle Breweries and would be instrumental in the production of Newcastle Brown Ale in 1927.
“The James H. Porter recipe has been adapted to the Heritage Brewing Companies capabilities as directed by Steve Wellington (Head Brewer retired) so it is not an exact like for like reproduction,” says Caroline Horobin. “The recipe requires Fuggles hops which we have sourced from Kent Life, another visitor attraction that Planning Solutions (owner of Heritage Brewery Company) operate. They are based in Kent and have a small acreage of hops which are hand-picked by volunteers and then dried by them in the last gas fired Oast House in Kent.”
X Porter is certainly a beer steeped in history and is described as having complex malt aromas with a hint of liquorice and smokiness; it is smooth and easy to drink with a rich brown colour. You can sample this at the Brewery Tap at the National Brewery Centre who always have Heritage beers on sale.
The last 12 months have been rather turbulent for The Weighbridge
Inn on Derby Street, Burton upon Trent. First it changed hands with George and
Walter selling the lease to the Burton Old Cottage Beer Company, and then there
a few issues over the hot summer with the chiller in the cellar failing; however
just when things were looking up, the brewery found itself put up for sale in
spring of this year. It brewed its last pint in March and has since closed,
with the pub following suit. A sad story.
Richard Muir brewing with his original kit
Enter Muirhouse Brewery from Ilkeston, whom Burton drinkers
may be familiar with, as their beers have been on at The Last Heretic and more
recently at Bodell’s in Swadlincote. Founded ten years ago by Richard and Mandy
Muir in their garage using a tiny 100 litre kit, they eventually moved to their
current premises on the Manners Industrial Estate in Ilkeston in 2011.
“Whilst working a high-profile job full time, Richard brewed
all day on a Sunday and looked after our son whilst I worked in the local
supermarket,” explains Mandy Muir. “On February 15th 2011, Richard’s 40th
birthday, he took ownership of a two-barrel kit, June 2011 saw the brewery
become Richard’s full-time job.”
The Weighbridge Inn will be the couple’s third pub,
following one in Ilkeston and The Last Post in Derby.
“We are installing new equipment in the cellar so that the
beers are served at the correct temperature,” says Mandy. “We pride ourselves
on quality, so there won’t be any issues there! Everyone remembers bad
experiences we want ours to shout how good it is. We are also installing new
keg fonts to serve Bitburger Lager and also the traditional cider, I don’t like
seeing boxes of cider on the back of the bar and served warm.”
The plan is to have four handpulls, two Muirhouse beers and
two guests, although don’t expect to see the same Muirhouse beers on all the
time, as unlike many breweries they do not have a core range of beers.
“We like to keep both sets of customers interested in buying
our beers. A little bit like a sweet shop you never know what you’re going to
get? We brew twice a week and make eight different beers a month to keep our
customers interested. A pub that has the same beers week in week out is boring!
As they say variety is the spice of life.”
So then, a new start for the Weighbridge Inn: “We feel that
the right place became available at the right time and we have no plans to
change the name as it fits in with the surroundings.”
Although no date has been announced, expect The Weighbridge to be open for business in the very near future.
“No. 1 Horninglow Street” is the
first in a series of one off brews from Burton upon Trent brewers Marston’s; fittingly
it is an India Pale Ale, the beer synonymous with the town. Marston’s are the
town’s oldest brewers, with a rich history that can be traced back to 1834,
when founder John Marston bought a small brewery situated in the village of Horninglow.
Initial workup on the 7.4% IPA was
done in the DE14 Nanobrewery and only when Head Brewer Pat McGinty was satisfied
was it scaled up for the iconic main Brewhouse. Fermentation began in Squares
and after two days it was transferred into a Burton Union for a further five
days. Comprising of 24 interlinked 150 gallon oak barrels, the once ubiquitous
Burton Union are now used only by Marston’s and preserve a vital link to the
history of brewing and sit in the “Cathedral of Brewing” Union Room.
Normally the Burton Unions are
reserved exclusively for Pedigree (every drop of cask Pedigree is Union
fermented), so “No. 1 Horninglow Street” is certainly a very special beer. Low colour
pale ale malts, late and dry hopped with four hop varieties (Goldings,
Sovereign and Ernest from the UK and Cascade from the USA) this ale has a
gentle honeyed aroma with hints of apricot and crisp citrus notes on the
palate. The beer is bottle conditioned, so will continue to mature over time.
There will be 32,000 500ml bottles,
all individually numbered and packaged in a special box. In an unusual move the
beer will not be sold in Burton supermarkets, but if you can get to the nearest
Waitrose in Lichfield then it is retailing at £4.50 a bottle.
As for the next beer in the series;
how about a Russian Imperial Stout or a Barley Wine, perhaps even a recreation
of a traditional Burton Ale?
The Beertonian swung by Clarence Street this evening to check on the Goat weathervane who sits on top of the Goat Maltings that once belonged to the Peter Walker Brewery following the recent fire.
“It did get rather hot on Saturday,” said the Goat laughing. “I was beginning to think Roast Goat was going to be on the menu.”
Any idea what happened?
“No not really, I was happily keeping watch over the town, which I’ve done for nearly 140 years, when suddenly the air was filled with thick black smoke and then the sound of sirens. I could vaguely make out the blue lights below.”
“It was strange being the centre of attention! I really didn’t know that so many people cared about me,” said the Goat with a tear in his eye.
Getting emotional Goat?
“Never! I’ve got some soot in my eye and it’s really hard to hold a tissue with cloven hooves. Could you give it a wipe please?”
The view down Clarence Street at 20:00 today. Note the two columns of smoke.
The iconic
Goat Maltings on Clarence Street in Burton upon Trent are currently on fire. The
main column of smoke is rising from the unique octagonal malthouse with more
coming from a roof vent at the far end of the building.
The Grade
II Listed Maltings once formed part of The Clarence Street Brewery built by the
Trustees of the Late Peter Walker, the entire premises were accepted as the
most ornate of all the Victorian Burton Breweries. The original brewery was erected
in 1883-84 by Lowe and Sons of Burton and designed by the Architects G. Scamell
and R. C. Sinclair. The Maltings take their name from the beautiful copper goat
weathervane.
Showing the Goat Maltings on the left and the now demolished brewery on the right in May 1977 (Photograph copyright Robin Jeffcoat)
Peter
Walker was originally from Warrington and moved to Burton, where his brother
Andrew Barclay Walker had already established a brewery. Tragically before his
brewery was finished, Peter died, so the company became known as The Trustees
of the Late Peter Walker. Brewing ceased in 1929 and the site was sold to
Maltsers Yeoman, Cherry and Curtis.
Peter Walker’s Strong Ale
As yet the
extent of the damage and the cause of the fire are unknown, but it is looking
likely that Burton is about to lose another part of its rich brewing history.
The Devonshire Arms (known locally as The Devvie) has stood on Station Street, Burton upon Trent since the 1840’s, when it was owned by the Appleby family. It became part of the estate of James Eadie & Son in 1888, who brewed a stone’s throw away on Cross Street and after Eadie’s sold to Bass in the 1920’s, The Devvie followed suit and became a Bass pub. Bass later sold the premises to Ind Coope where it became one of their flagship houses in the 1980’s. Following the Bass takeover of Ind Coope The Devvie changed hands again and was bought by Burton Bridge Brewery who maintained the green and gold Ind Coope identity.
The Devvy
Today it is a Freehouse under the ownership of Carl and Nicki Stout, who ran the Burton Bridge pub for the last ten years. They bought The Devvie on 18 February 2019. Carl and Nicki have a long and varied history in the pub trade.
“My wife has always been involved in the licencing trade,”
says Carl. “She worked behind the bar and was then Assistant Manager at the
Fettler & Firkin pub chain in Nuneaton. We used to drink in the Wetherspoon’s
when we lived in Nuneaton and saw the application for Trainee Pub Managers, we applied,
got it, we put our house up for rent, quit our jobs and ended up working for
Wetherspoon’s in North London in 1997. We worked at the Moon on the Hill in
Harrow for twelve months, then moved to Cambridge and then to the Lord Burton
as Managers in our own right, where we stayed for three and a half years.”
It was through managing the Lord Burton that Carl and Nicki
first met Geoff Mumford and Bruce Wilkinson of Burton Bridge Brewery; this was
the start of a long term partnership.
“They offered us the Devonshire as a tenancy, which we ran
for five years. When Kevin left the Bridge we were offered that and we ran that
as a tenancy for ten years and then we came back here as Freeholders.”
Landlord Carl Stout
What it is that makes The Devvie such a special place?
“It’s a fantastic building, one of the oldest pubs in the
Burton and the location!” reckons Carl. “It’s a town centre pub but with a
large local cliental means we have a lot of locals but we also get a lot of
passing trade, people using the Indian Restaurants … we get a broad spectrum of
customer.”
The Devvie forms part of what is unofficially known as “The Station Street Run”, this also includes The Roebuck, The Last Heretic and The Cooper’s Tavern. Such a concentration of excellent pubs all within staggering distance of each other is one of the reasons that people still flock to Burton for the beer!
“When I follow Burton Albion away and talk to other supporters,
they all love coming to Burton,” reveals Carl. “When we got relegated, there
were a lot of Championship teams willing Burton to stay up so they could come
here for a drink! We had a coach full of Wolves fans turn up at the Bridge and
they sent us a Christmas card with a twenty pound note to thank us for the
hospitality.”
The Devvie is a football friendly place and welcomes both home and away fans, as long as they behave themselves: “When supporters come to Burton, there is no threat, intimidation or hostility towards away supporters. There’s no history or rivalries there.”
Although The Devvie is a Freehouse, Burton Bridge Brewery beers still feature heavily on the bar.
“One of the conditions of the sale was that I have to sell
three Burton Bridge beers for a period of time,” says Carl, not that this is
any hardship of course and it is easy to argue that this forms part of their
identity. “The Bridge Bitter is as good a bitter as you’ll get, the Stairway to
Heaven is a very popular drink and then I rotate the dark ones, so I have the
Top Dog Stout, the Damson Porter and the regular Porter. Even if I was free of
tie I would still have two Burton Bridge beers on.”
Along with the Bridge beers Carl has four guests: “I don’t
pick guest ales that are off the wall, I go for drinkability. We always have a
light one around 3.8%, two around the 4.5-5.0% mark and typically a stronger
one. With the three Burton Bridge and four guest ales I think we cover all
bases in terms of strength and tastes.”
If you have attended one of Carl and Nicki’s annual Beer and
Sausage Festivals at The Bridge, the good news is that these are set to
continue.
“We are planning on having a festival at the end of
September / beginning of October. Logistically it’ll be a bit different, we
have got an outside area but it’s not quite as perfect as it was at the Bridge,
but I am sure there are ways around it.”
The popular food nights are also staying: “At the Bridge we
started doing a Steak Night on a Tuesday, one of the quieter nights, this
proved a tremendous success. We have extended our range of themed evenings, we
do the burger night, the steak night, the fish night and we are trialling pizza
evenings as well. I don’t want to turn this into a food pub, it is a boozer
first and foremost, but it’s something my wife enjoys doing and it is all home
cooked food.”
Since February they have made a few tweaks to the pub, including
maps and historical pictures of Burton but generally Carl is happy with the
place: “It’s there or thereabouts. We’ve redecorated, put in new lighting,
pictures and the feedback has been very positive We will probably end up doing
something with the front bar next year, the garden isn’t too bad and then we
may look at repainting externally.”
Carl displays an obvious passion for being a pub Landlord, the pride he has in his beer and his premises are immediately apparent from the minute you walk in the The Devvie, mind you it isn’t as glamourous a job as some may think.
“After you’ve been in the pub trade for over 20 odd years,
your body clock is all over the place; split shifts, one hour splits, all day
shifts … but the worst thing is getting up early in the morning. Anything after
nine o’clock I’m not too bad, anything before … it’s a struggle,” he laughs. “I
work in the region of 55 to 60 hours a week, it’s the sort of job when you
don’t clock in and clock out.”
Carl’s favourite part of the job?
“Friday and Saturday evening, when the pub is full and
there’s a nice atmosphere, that’s when I really enjoy it. It’s the customers
that make a pub not the Landlord, we put things in place but it can’t happen
without the customers,” he says humbly.
The Devvie: one of the finest pubs in arguably the best town for beer in the country. What’s not to like?
The story of Thornbridge Brewery began in 2004 when Jim Harrison and Simon Webster oversaw the installation of a small ten barrel brewery in an outbuilding on the 100 acre estate at Thornbridge Hall, near Great Longstone in Derbyshire. Jim and Simon employed two young brewers (one being Martin Dickie who soon left to co-found another brewery …), the first beer brewed in early 2005 was Lord Marples, a classic 4% bitter, which is still produced to this day.
Their second ale in mid-2005 was the real game-changer; Jaipur. A mouth-watering 5.9% IPA loaded with American hops making it like nothing else on the market at the time; Jaipur was an instant hit and soon demand outstripped supply. New premises were built at Riverside on the A6 between Bakewell and Buxton in 2009, the bespoke brewery enabling Thornbridge to quench the thirst for Jaipur and also develop their core range. Brewing still continues on the original site and is used for experimentation and collaborations.
Ten casks and seven kegs!
If you have never tried Thornbridge Brewery’s beers, you owe it to yourself to visit Bodell’s for the Swadlincote pub’s inaugural Tap Taker, which runs from this Thursday to Sunday. With a total of seventeen beers on offer, ten cask and seven on key keg there is something for every taste. Mind you if you are already a convert, you know you are in for a treat …
Bodell’s Ashley Ayling: “Thornbridge are and always have been one of my favourite breweries, and I’ve never had a bad beer from them on either cask or keg; in fact the best pint (sorry, 500ml) of Jaipur I had was in Helsinki, despite it costing me around £13!”
So why organise a Tap Taker?
“It is something different and seems to pull people in when it has been done at other venues in the area,” observes Ash. “It creates an event.”
And why do Thornbridge particularly lend themselves to such a venture?
“They have such a wide variety of styles,” says Ash. “There’s bound to be something they brew that people like.”
The beer list is as follows (for tasting notes see the end of this article). Cask: Jaipur, Lucaria, Twin Peaks, Brother Rabbit, Lord Marples, Lumford, Black Harry, Melba, Astryd and Market Porter. Keg: Satzuma, Tart, Heartland, AM:PM, Versa, Green Mountain and Elio. There will also be cans of Jaipur and a limited supply of Strawberry Lucaria in bottle.
One beer conspicuous by its absence is Cerberus, the Cherry Bakewell Stout brewed in collaboration with Burton upon Trent pub The Dog: “We tried but it was sold out,” says Ash.
Mike Langford, who works as a Barman at Bodell’s has this to say: “I think the Thornbridge takeover at Bodell’s is a fantastic opportunity for the people of Swadlincote and the surrounding areas to sample some of the best cask and keg beers brewed in the UK. Thornbridge are fantastic at catering for both sides of the beer market with classic, rich cask ales and fresh, exciting new keg craft beers.”
“Ash has picked some good beers, it should go down really well,” says barman Mike Langford who is doubtlessly expecting to be rushed off his feet. “I always love Jaipur whether it’s cask or keg. Their Lucaria’s in any flavour are always so tasty and who can resist the modern classic Green Mountain fresh out of the keg?”
CASK
Jaipur – 5.9% – IPA
Award winning India Pale Ale, smooth, but this builds around the mouth to a crescendo of massive hoppiness accentuated by honey.
Lucaria – 6.0% – Ice Cream Porter
Decadent, creamy ice cream porter that pours thick with flavours of chocolate and vanilla
Twin Peaks – 5.0% – Anglo American Pale Ale
Aromas of tropical fruits – pineapple and mango balanced with the refreshing taste of lemon sherbet –refreshing and easy drinking.
Brother Rabbit – 4.0% – Golden Ale
Lemon zest in colour with a clean, hoppy aroma. Dry palate, resinous finish and some bitterness – a great session beer.
Lord Marples – 4.0% – Classic British Bitter
Tastes of honey and caramel and, although you can experience a surprising smoothness, watch out for the long bitter finish.
Lumford – 3.9% – New World Pale Ale
Pale ale brewed using New Zealand and US hops. Flavours are floral, apples, peach and orange peel. Hoppy bitter finish with clean and crisp passionfruit, grapefruit and gooseberry.
Black Harry – 3.9% – Fruity Dark Ale
Full of dark fruity aromas with hints of raspberry, a light creamy body and a long nutty, malty finish. Dark, refreshing and very drinkable.
Melba – 4.5% – Peach IPA
Melba pours a light gold in colour and its peachy character is complemented beautifully by the use of highly aromatic US hops.
Astryd – 3.8% – Juicy Pale
This Juicy Pale is unfined therefore naturally hazy and vegan friendly. The hop profile of Crystal and Mosaic gives this beer a finish of tropical fruits such as Guava and Mango.
Market Porter – 4.5% – Creamy, Smooth Porter
Named after Thornbridge’s new pub in York – The Market Cat. This is a smooth, robust creamy porter with a hint of coffee to finish.
KEG
Satzuma – 4.5% – Satzuma Session IPA
A bold citrus aroma on the palate with a zesty nose. Hops blend beautifully with satsuma peel for a juicy crescendo. Gluten Free Beer.
Tart – 6.0% – Bakewell Sour
Bakewell Sour pours a golden yellow colour with a white head. The beer is refreshingly tart and dry with a combination of citrusy hops and flavours of grapefruit and bitter lemon.
Heartland – 4.9% – English Cellar Ale
A brand new beer, brewed with Thornbridge Cask Ale Yeast and hopped with a beautiful range of Hukin Hops. Heartland is a celebration of locally sourced products and a refreshing hazy ale.
AM:PM – 4.5% – Session IPA
All the flavours and body of an IPA. Bags of tropical fruit aromas, pineapple, tangerine, guava and passionfruit are balanced with a chewy, honeyed malt character.
Versa – 5.0% – Weisse Beer
This fresh, fruity Weisse beer pours a hazy, burnt orange and true to its style, has well balanced flavours of clove spiciness, banana and bubble gum.
Green Mountain – 4.3% – Hazy Vermont Session IPA
This Vermont-style session IPA is generously dry hopped, creating a hugely aromatic and juicy fruit bomb. It drinks beautifully, with just a light bitterness to keep it perfectly balanced.
Elio – 4.7% – Summer Ale
Brand New! Light, fresh and hugely drinkable. Elio is the perfect accompaniment to those long summer days.
Cans of Jaipur available and there is also a very limited bottle stock of:
A twist on the ice cream porter Lucaria. Added strawberries to make a decadent, creamy ice cream porter that pours thick with flavours of strawberries and vanilla. A dream for anyone with a sweet tooth.
The National Brewery Heritage Trust is a
charity set up to look after and promote the vast archive of brewing related
material held at the National Brewery Centre in Burton upon Trent and they have
recently launched a Crowdfunding appeal to create an on-line catalogue.
“The project will cost £50,000 and £30,000 has already been raised in
donations from generous individuals and organisations,” states the Chairman
Harry White. “We want people to enjoy their collection but currently only 5000
of our half a million items are on display at the National Brewing centre in
Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. That means 99% of the collection is hidden
from view in our archives, making it impossible for anyone interested in
British beer, pubs and brewing to appreciate what’s there.”
The archive itself is a goldmine of information stretching back over 200
years, from photographs, bottles, beer labels, breweriana, manuscripts and
company record books, many of which are unique.
“We want everyone to be able to see what we’ve got,” says Harry. “We’re
developing an on-line catalogue which will enable many more people to enjoy
this unique record of our brewing heritage and to appreciate the cultural,
social and economic role of our industry.
On a personal note, I am eternally in debt to the National Brewery
Centre and the archive. When I started my first research project ten years ago,
I was given access to the Ind Coope and Samuel Allsopp company records which they
hold, without these I would never have written my first book. It was also
through the Curator Vanessa Winstone that I found a publisher.
History should be shared and not locked away in dusty boxes; it belongs
to all of us and by having an on-line catalogue, this will inspire others to dig
into the past and write articles and books.
