B Corp Month: Stroud Brewery celebrates that change is brewing

“I’m so delighted that our way of doing business isn’t considered weird any more!” said Greg Pilley, founder & MD of Stroud Brewery, welcoming the start of international BCorp Month in March. He’s watched attitudes within the business community towards mixing business with social responsibility switch 180 degrees compared to when he first started the brewery in 2006.

During B Corp Month, the growing global movement of companies that are embedding sustainable and responsible practices within their ethos and using their business as a force for good were celebrated. Called B Corporations, there are now over 6,000 of them around the world and 1,534 in the UK, covering 58 industries and employing 55,000+ people. Examples of B Corporations in the SW include Stroud Brewery, Pro-Cook, Ku Fu Accounting, Invivo natural pharmacy and the business support organisation, Business West.

Hogs Back Brewery managing director Rupert Thompson said: "We're delighted with this renewed interest in our cask ales from pubs across the south east. Covid of course dented our cask business with pubs and it's taken some time to bounce back, but we're certainly seeing demand on the rise again and are feeling optimistic about our cask portfolio.

"We're particularly pleased that operators are not just stocking our bestseller Tongham TEA, but are prepared to try other cask ales including our seasonals, like Big Squeezy.”

Find out more at www.hogsback.co.uk

Many B Corporations started out in the conventional way but then changed their mindset to consider how their operations, decision-making and activities can have a positive impact on all stakeholders – customers, workers, communities, shareholders and the planet. There’s a rigorous assessment process, and companies have to meet tough criteria before receiving B Corp certification. They also have to apply every three years to renew their certification and be re-assessed. It’s the ethical business equivalent of the organic certification process. When Stroud Brewery opened in 2006, its founder and MD, Greg Pilley, was determined to show how it’s possible for a business to be both successful and environmentally and ethically responsible even though examples of such companies were extremely rare at that time, especially in the brewing industry. His determination paid off and Stroud Brewery is now a successful, award-winning business serving organic beer, becoming a B Corporation in March 2018.

“I’m delighted to see the B Corp movement growing so fast,” continued Greg. “In the UK in the past year, the number of companies gaining this certificate has doubled and the whole idea is being taken more seriously in the corporate world. It’s nice to have my original belief vindicated, and that running a business in this way isn’t considered weird any more! I think one day all companies will operate as B Corps and we’ll think it strange that we didn’t sooner.”

The B Corporation standards include how well businesses treat their staff and, in October last year, the brewery won the Gloucestershire Inclusive Employer Award from the charity, Inclusivity Works. This was in recognition of its work to ensure everyone, whatever their background, is welcome to work there and for providing a high quality supportive work experience. Details of all the many ways it operates sustainability can be found in its latest B Corporation Impact Report. Find out more at www.stroudbrewery.co.uk

Rooster's Brewing Co announces full ‘Suds With Buds’ line-up

Over 20 breweries have been confirmed for Rooster’s Brewing Co’s inaugural invitational beer festival, Suds With Buds, taking place at the brewery’s home in Harrogate on July 1st.

Tickets for the event are now available, with the full line-up of breweries, live music and street food traders having been confirmed. The festival will be taking place on July 1st and will span the entirety of the brewery and yard, taproom, beer garden and The Sample Room (a private event bar) upstairs.

The event will feature a unique combined line-up of over 100 beers, poured by some of the UK's most respected and talked-about breweries, including Burning Sky, Elusive, Brew York, North and Siren. A handful of breweries from the USA complete the line-up, along with Finland’s Brinkhall Cider, which has never been served in the UK before. Odell Brewing Co. and Crooked Stave, both from Colorado and with a strong reputation in the UK, will be showcased alongside beers from Californian breweries Green Cheek and Everywhere, as well as Bale Breaker from Yakima in Washington State.

All five of the US breweries will also be brewing with Rooster’s to produce a collection of beers to form an American Celebration of releases throughout the summer as part of Rooster’s 30th Anniversary Collaboration Project.

An unmissable event for beer lovers, Suds With Buds includes a quality mix of street food traders, with stuffed Greek pittas, stone-baked sourdough pizza, speciality burgers and Mexican tacos on the menu. A live music stage is being built in the taproom's beer garden and will play host to a high calibre mix of musicians and artists.

Speaking about the event, Tom Fozard, Rooster’s Commercial Director said: “We’ve wanted to host Suds With Buds ever since we up scaled the brewery and opened the taproom in 2019, so I’m excited that we’re finally in a position to make it happen. The list of brewers joining us and the beers they’ll be pouring is, quite frankly, ridiculous, but the quality of the street food traders and calibre of the live music on the day is equally impressive. Hopefully the weather will play its part and the sun will be shining for everyone who joins to enjoy a few suds with their buds on July 1st.”

Sheffield’s Hot Soles are confirmed as the festival headliners, having previously supported The Zutons on tour, with Ralph Pelleymounter also taking to the stage ahead of touring with Bastille later in July. 2022 Girls I Rate #GETHEARD Future Hitmaker winner, Ramona Rose is also among the other acts announced so far. Find out more at www.roosters.co.uk

71 Brewing relaunches popular beer based on classic British dessert

Independent craft brewery, 71 Brewing, has tweaked the recipe and re-launched its award-winning Blackcurrant Apple Crumble beer, part of its Fruition Seasonal Sours summer range, and winner of the Best Fruited Sour Beer category at the Scottish Beer awards 2022.

Inspired by a popular, comforting dessert, Blackcurrant Apple Crumble has been packed with locally sourced blackcurrants, apple juice, spices, and a touch of vanilla. Available in 440ml can (6.5% ABV), it pours a deep purple colour with a frothy white head revealing a strong fruity aroma with blackcurrants as its most prominent scent. For the relaunch the recipe has been tweaked slightly to include premium apples which has made the vanilla flavour more pronounced, with additional oats for a better mouthfeel.

In addition to its Scottish Beer Awards accolade, The Independent newspaper recognised Blackcurrant Apple Crumble as “Best Pastry Sour”, which reflects the beer’s unique flavour profile, combining the tartness of sour beer with the sweetness of a pastry.

Duncan Alexander, founder of 71 Brewing, commented: “Blackcurrant Apple Crumble’s awards to date and popularity reflect is exceptional taste and quality. It’s a beer that’s captured the hearts of beer lovers across the country and beyond, and its re-brew is sure to delight fans both old and new.

“It’s a beer that combines the best of both worlds – the fruity tang of a sour beer and the comforting sweetness of a dessert. The locally sourced ingredients add an extra layer of authenticity and quality to the beer, making it a must-try for anyone who enjoys flavourful and unique brews.”

Find out more at www.71brewing.com

Catch and Docks

Grimsby brewery Docks Beers has created a low carbon beer in collaboration with Catch UK, to bring wider attention to the Humber’s efforts to lead the way in Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS), and help deliver net zero to the UK by 2040.

The beer entitled Carbon Crush is a 5% Low Carbon IPA. It has been made with low carbon ingredients and was released in can and on draft in the brewery’s King Edward street taproom and shop.

Catch UK, the industry led partnership supporting the process, energy, engineering and renewable industries in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Humber, is spearheading the region’s ambition to decarbonise the Humber region alongside its members and wider stakeholders. The Humber-bank industries support thousands of jobs and supply chain/ contractor businesses, but they are also some of the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the country Mike Richards, Head Brewer Docks Beers, explained: “We were delighted to collaborate with Catch on this brewing project. We made this beer as low carbon as possible. We picked low carbon hops from Brookhouse, who've pioneered a way to produce hops using 10 times less carbon dioxide. Lincolnshire malt keeps the carbon footprint down. We've ended up with a finely tuned English style IPA with a full bodied malt canvas allowing the low carbon Chinook hops to shine. Juicy fruit flavours are tempered by a fine restrained bitterness with a clean finish.”

With compost toilets, wildflower roofs and community hop projects, Bluestone Brewing Company is always trying to keep its footprint as low as possible. Its most ambitious project to date, and the one that caught the judges’ eyes, is a CO2 capture project in collaboration with Swansea University. Over the past year, the brewery has been using Microalgae to reduce its CO2 emissions by capturing CO2 naturally produced by the action of yeast in the brewing process and converting it into valuable biomass with the help of Microalgae. The brewery is well known locally for some of its sustainable initiatives, but these efforts are now being recognised on a far bigger scale. Bluestone is quickly becoming one of the leading sustainable breweries in the UK.

The beer can label and keg badge, designed by Docks Beers’ creative agency of choice, Source 4, features an illustrated comic book story starring a superhero, Carbon Catcher, who is responsible for protecting the environment from carbon creatures.

Will Douglas, Docks Beers Director said:

“You can’t miss the 6ft cardboard cut-out of the superhero Carbon Catcher in our taproom, plus you can scan the beer can to find out more about Carbon Capture and Storage and Catch. We hope this helps start more conversation about CCS.”

Find out more at www.docksbeers.com

Moor Beer celebrates Oktoberfest and the return of a hero

Pembrokeshire-based Bluestone was awarded Best Sustainable Business at this year’s SIBA Business Awards at BeerX in Liverpool.

The Sustainable Business award recognises breweries who are taking the ethics of environmental awareness and sustainable business operations way beyond the norm, with either a single innovative initiative or a holistic strategy for sustainability.

Marketing Director Emily Hutchinson said: “We have been runners up in this category a couple of times, so to be announced as winners was amazing. Our hard work is paying off and to receive recognition on a national stage for our sustainable efforts was a great feeling. We believe that there is a social responsibility, on all businesses, to reduce their footprints for the benefit of everybody. We want to ensure that our business has a positive impact on the welfare of the next generation. We may be a small business in the grand scheme of things, but we hope that our way of working may influence others and that we can have a big impact on our local community and the wider brewing community!”

Find out more at www.bluestonebrewing.co.uk

Moor Beer Co has been selected as the exclusive brewer for Top Chef Season 20: World All-Stars.

The 20th season of the TV cooking competition, which is set in London, features 16 Top Chef winners and finalists from around the world, and premiered in the UK on March 10th on Bravo.

Moor Beers is being featured throughout the season, both in the competition, as well as being part of the drinks selection for the judges during deliberations. The move is an incredible opportunity for Moor to reach a global audience. Find out more at www.moorbeer.co.uk