Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

The international award-winning brewer Evan-Evans has launched a new range of beers at the start of a new summer sales campaign. Evan-Evans is widely recognised as being one of the leading brewers in Wales and the UK. The brewery is launching 10 beers to celebrate the very best of Welsh summer. Some of the beers are old favourites; others are new beers which have never been tasted before. Brewer James Buckley said: “Summer is an important time of year for us at Evan-Evans and this year we are launching a series of new beers to celebrate Welsh Summertime. “These include delicious new ‘golden’ beers, using continental hops. “Generally, our summer beers are designed to be drunk slightly cooler and are golden in colour, but this year we are producing some new light amber-coloured beers, which are more hoppy and have a distinct summer feel to them.” Beer lovers can look forward to trying ales from the Evan-Evans family of beers, which includes the Artisan range and the Porter Street Londo...

The awards season has started early for the Evan-Evans Brewery. The brewery finished as runners-up in the Food and Drink Business of the Year in the prestigious and inaugural Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star West Wales business awards. And The George Hotel in Brecon (part of the Evan-Evans brewery pub and hotel portfolio) received a runners-up award in a new competition to find the Best Breakfast in Wales. “It’s a lovely start to the year to be recognised for our work,” said Michelle Francis, Operations Manager with the Evan-Evans Brewery. “The brewery was up against stiff competition in the West Wales business awards, with the giant Castell Howell food wholesaler and the popular Sosban restaurant in Llanelli also in the same category.” The award went to Sosban. But a spokesman for the judges said it was a very close run thing with all three businesses showing evidence of providing high quality service and delivering products of the highest standard. Brewer James Buckley, a sixth...

International award-winning brewer Evan-Evans is brewing to capacity in preparation for the ‘W-Ales’ Beer Festival to be held at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, from June 5-7. Simon Buckley, chief executive of Evan-Evans, said: “The ‘W-Ales’ Beer Festival is a new event being held at the Millennium Stadium, which will showcase a selection of beers from across Wales. “At the moment we have never seen such a demand for our beers - from within our own pub estate and also from the wider cask ale market across the UK. “At the ‘W-Ales’ Beer Festival we will be launching a series of new beers from our Artisan beer range, as well as launching the beers brewed by our new London Brewery, the Porter Street Brewery. “This event is a major opportunity for us as the leading Welsh specialist cask ale brewer to showcase all our beers and to show, for the first time, these unique additions to our brand portfolio. “These are fantastic new beers that have been formulated to satisfy the demand from ...

Two young Welsh brewers have brought home the top brewing honours at the International Brewing awards, otherwise known as the brewing industry ‘Oscars’. Voted top organic brewers in the world, for their Evan-Evans Organic Gold, James Buckley and Sajan Muthanna were identified as two of the top brewers at the International Brewing Awards 2013. Bill Taylor, Head of the International Judging panel, said: “There were almost 1,000 beers in the competition from all over the world and to win a medal is to be recognised as being at the pinnacle of brewing excellence. “This is a competition judged by brewers from all over the world and provides a platform for top brewers to showcase their brewing excellence and skills.” James Buckley, 24, and Sajan Muthanna, 26, are brewers at Evan-Evans Brewery, in Llandeilo, South Wales. James is the seventh generation of Wales’s oldest brewing family, the Buckley family, who have brewed in Wales since 1767. Sajan Muthanna, a native of Bangalore, joined ...

Llandeilo-based brewer Evan-Evans has been voted the top organic beer brewer in the world at the Brewing Industry International Brewing Awards 2013. The awards are often known as the brewing Oscars and represent the pinnacle of brewing excellence. Judged by 40 brewers from around the world, this is the ultimate brewing competition - brewers judged by brewers. Evan-Evans won the coveted Bronze medal in the Best Bitter category in 2011, but this year triumphed in the event, winning the Gold medal for organic beers. Not simply the best in Wales, but the world. No other Welsh Brewer won an award or medal. Simon Buckley, Chief Executive of the Evan-Evans group, said: "This is a very special moment for us at Evan-Evans. "The beer was brewed by my son James, with our technical brewer Sajan Muthanna taking responsibility for the quality control and monitoring the fermentation. (James and Sajan are pictured above) ""This is a major achievement for our ...

The brewing team at Evan-Evans Brewery in Llandeilo have been working overtime to create a new beer for the Welsh jazz season. With the Llandeilo Jazz Festival (July 6-8) on the immediate horizon and Brecon Jazz at the beginning of August, the brewery decided to produce a new light summer ale for these major jazz festivals. The new beer is light straw in colour and is brewed using the finest winter barley malts. With a light summery bitterness, this new beer is sure to be in great demand. Brewed by James Buckley, 23, the seventh generation of the Buckley brewing family, the beer has been designed to be an easy-drinking ale. James Buckley said: “This beer is a super new summer beer which we trialled some weeks ago. It received rave reviews. It is easy drinking, malty and a fun new beer which I am sure the jazz drinkers of Wales will love. “This beer, great local food and wonderful jazz, what could be better for a July summer’s day?” Website - http://www.evanevansbrewery.com/

The award-winning Evan-Evans brewery in Llandeilo is helping to champion the power of local! There is a growing consumer trend to buy local food and drink, with the accent firmly on quality products. “Pubs are no different in that respect to your local greengrocer, butcher and fishmonger,” said James Buckley, of Evan-Evans. “More and more nowadays customers and consumers are appreciating the value of ‘buying local’. They know they are supporting local industries and businesses and they know they are getting quality products for the pound in their pocket. “In the brewing industry in Wales, we have found in recent years that people putting real value on excellence. Here, at Evan-Evans we produce a range of traditional quality ales which are winning awards and building on our reputation for excellence.” Mr Buckley, 22, recently rejoined the brewing team at Evan-Evans and is now helping to promote an initiative from SIBA, the Small Independent Brewers’ Association. SIBA will this week (Aug...

When you’ve got nearly 245 years of brewing experience behind you, it pays to keep things in the family. The Buckley name is synonymous with award-winning brewing in Wales, so it is no surprise to find that the latest recruit to the family’s Evan-Evans business has the famous surname. James Buckley, 22, has joined the Llandeilo-based brewery as a seventh generation member of the longest-surviving brewing dynasty in Wales. He is following in the footsteps of his father Simon, 53, who heads up operations at Llandeilo and holds the treasure chest of his family’s secret recipes. James is joining head brewer Iven Kelleher at Evan-Evans. “Iven has built up a great reputation as an award-winning brewer so it’s a great opportunity for me to build on the brewing skills I have already acquired,” said James. This is his second stint at the brewery. “After I left Llandovery College, I spent about a year and a half working for Evan-Evans before leaving in April, 2009, to take a brewing job at Oxfor...