The Bar Towel

This was in a Real Beer email I received:

CAMRA CAMPAIGNS TO SAVE BRAKSPEAR BREWERY

CAMRA, Britian's Campaign for Real Ale, has launched a major hearts-and-minds campaign to persuade Brakspear shareholders and management that the Henley-on-Thames company has a future as a brewer. A new web site, letter and poster campaign urges takeholders to pledge their support for the company to keep brewing great beers in Henley on Thames, its home for over 200 years. The campaign is in response to the recent announcement that the company's beer division is under review, which could result in the closure of the Henley site and the company quitting brewing and becoming a pub chain.


For more info, see http://www.protzonbeer.com/documents/27660-001727.html

As Brakspear's Canadian agent, I cried in my Bitter this morning when I got the news that they might be shutting down. I'd hate to think that this fall's LCBO release of Ted & Ben's Organic Beer might be the last Brakspear product we see in Ontario.

The last issue of Brakspear's newsletter, which I received two weeks ago, seemed optimistic regarding the brewery's future. I do hope this wasn't just wishful thinking, I have a long personal history with Brakspear and I really do pray they don't cease brewing. Let's all cross our fingers that "review" just means review of how to do things better and more profitably rather than review of whether to brew at all.

...just got this press release today.

BRAKSPEAR TO QUIT BREWING
British brewer Brakspear will sell its Henley town center brewery site
by the turn of the year and end 200 years of brewing. Its brands will
now be brewed under license by Refresh UK. Brakspear plans to
concentrate on the development of its tenanted pub estate. Britain's
Campaign for Real ale (CAMRA) previously mounted a campaign to save the
brewery and protested the decision to close. However, CAMRA is hopeful
that the partnership of Brakspear and Refresh UK will ensure the future
of the beers and supports plans to build a new specialist brewery as
near as practicable to Henley on Thames.

Got the same message today. I'm a little nervous about a company called "Refresh U.K." though. Doesn't sound like a serious beer company to me.

Yes it's true and an absolute heart breaker for me as I was born literally a stone's throw from the brewery gates.

Here's some other details on the brewing deal with RefreshUK.

"“However, we believe we have identified an innovative solution to preserve the quality and consistency of our award winning beers. In a unique and progressive step we have developed a partnership with Refresh, the owners of Wychwood Brewery, who will handle the brewing, marketing and free trade sales of our beer brands under a comprehensive licence agreement.

“Refresh have indicated that they are looking to establish a smaller specialist brewery to continue brewing Brakspear beer. They have already started the search for a new site and we will be fully supporting them in this endeavour with appropriate assistance. Refresh will provide more detail of their plans in a concurrent announcement.

We have met with CAMRA and are looking for them to work with us to support this new approach to ensure the quality and consistency of our beers are maintained.

Rupert Thompson, Chief Executive of Refresh, said: ”Wychwood and Brakspear have already been working successfully together in the very competitive Take Home beer market for the last three years. We are excited by the opportunity for even greater cooperation to preserve and develop the much-loved Brakspear brands.

By transferring equipment and brewing expertise to a local brewery and continuing respect for the traditional brewing craft with a modern marketing approach, we can preserve these great beers for future generations.”

I hope so. Still, Brakspear won't be the same to me once they're brewing outside of Henley. For me it was always a little taste of my home town.

There is one piece of good news in all of this...Peter Scholey, head brewer at Brakspear, has contracted with Conistons to continue brewing Blue Bird Bitter after Brakspear's closes late this year. Peter has a friend with a small brewery nearby who graciously agreed to let Peter brew the Blue Bird there so this great bitter will continue to be available and will be made by the buy who's been brewing it for years.

I was wondering about the Conniston's.

Great joy and sadness today when I opened my mail. My "special order" of Brakspear's through Peter at Esprit has now arrived at the LCBO. Do I dare to drink it now that I know it's probably the last batch I'll ever get from the Henley Brewery??? Quite a dilemma.