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...

Researchers at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University have collaborated with scientists from Dijon, France to try to solve the problem of bad tasting beer. Beer brewers face a tricky problem. The high level of activity in the yeast used to produce beer generates a lot of heat during the brewing process raising the temperature at the bottom of brewing vats. Unfortunately, yeast often suffers damage to their structure at these high temperatures, and this damage gives the beer a bad taste. Their research paper has been published in the journal Environmental Microbiology - ‘Surviving the heat: Heterogeneity of response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae provides insight into thermal damage to the membrane.’ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1462-2920.12866/abstract . Understanding why some yeast cells survive high temperatures when others perish is key to improving processes such as brewing and with over 20 million pints of beer consume...

The Tower Brewery in Burton on Trent raised a glass of its popular Tower Bitter at the seat of Government recently after local MP Andrew Griffiths chose its beer as the week’s guest ale in the Strangers’ Bar, sited inside the House of Commons. Andrew Griffiths, Conservative MP for Burton on Trent and Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group said “It has been a pleasure to bring this fine beer to Westminster and introduce my colleagues to a taste of Burton. Burton is the UK’s brewing capital, boasting six breweries and 128 pubs and employing over 4000 people. Beer has been brewed in the town for over a 1000 years. No wonder its beers are so popular! “The Tower Brewery is a real asset to our constituency, brewing wonderful craft beers, providing jobs for local people and supporting other businesses including the pubs that are at the heart of our local communities.” The owner and head brewer of the Tower Brewery, John Mills said, “We were delighted that our Tower Bitte...

The Kidwelly Beer Festival is being held on Friday and Saturday, September 5 and 6, at the Princess Gwenllian Centre in Kidwelly. One of the organisers, Harvey Jones, has kindly sent me some information from the 'match programme' about the Cydweli 900 celebrations and beer in Kidwelly -  This section of the programme is to advertise Cydweli 900 and to give you some interesting facts about beer and in particular the history of beer in Cydweli. Cydweli 900 is about celebrating 900 years of our history, give or take a few years. There is disagreement about dates, but this may be due to drinking an excess of beer and can probably be best resolved over a beer! In any case in 2015 we will be celebrating. Watch out for events from concerts to a Farm Fun Day, sporting events, and surprise, surprise a BEER FESTIVAL, and we have our own celebration ale:- Cwrw Cydweli You will probably be enjoying Cwrw Cydweli as you are reading this. If not, stop reading. Go to the...

The latest 'Iechyd Da' Carmarthen Journal beer column by award-winning brewer Simon Buckley, chief executive of Llandeilo-based Evan-Evans Brewery -  Wimbledon, Henley, Llandeilo Jazz, it’s got to be summer! This is the time of year to enjoy ‘Golden Beers’ that are light or golden in colour, and that have the fragrance and freshness of a warm summer’s day. So what should you be looking for? Light, golden beers, in a nutshell. Summer beers should be served cooler. Not freezing cold, so you get frostbite from holding the glass, but two to three degrees below normal. This enhances the flavours and makes the beers even more refreshing. Temperature is not everything. A good refreshing summer beer will be brewed with a combination of Pale Ale malt and some Torrified Wheat to give it a tight white head. Then, depending on what you are trying to create, possibly some Pilsner lager malt. This will give it a light almost continental style of flavour. Gentle malt flavours supported ...

The first ever 'W-Ales Beer Festival' held at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, is being hailed a huge success by Wales’s leading specialist brewer Evan-Evans. With more than 6,000 visitors, the festival was a great shop window for the very best in Welsh brewing. Simon Buckley, Chief Executive of the Evan-Evans Group, said: "The 'W-Ales Beer Festival' was a great event. "Obviously, this being the first year there are things that can be done to improve the event, but hats off to the Millennium team. It was a great event - and what a triumph to let the sun in by having the roof open. What other venue in Cardiff can do that? "The festival was a huge success for us; we launched our new London beer brand Porter Street Brewery, which received rave reviews. "We had 10 great beers on show from all our brands. "We had more than 2000 beer drinkers visit our stand in three days. "We sold out of cask ale by the end of Saturday. "The opportunit...

The Evan-Evans Group is moving into the London cask ale market with the launch today of the Porter Street Brewing Company. Porter Street brewery will be a London-based group company, specialising in brewing high quality craft beers for the specialist London market. The London cask ale markets is still growing, and is an ideal market for an experienced brewer like Evan-Evans to take its market share. Evan-Evans Group Chief Executive Simon Buckley said: "We have been planning the launch of a new London brewery for the last six months and today we launch this unique brewing company, with the very first tastings of these new beers. "Porter Street Brewery beers will, ultimately, be brewed in Essex, at a new brewing site and will brew three core brands and a group of unique seasonal beers designed exclusively for the London market. "I have worked with my brewing team and our technical advisors to create beers that echo the famous past of London brewing. We are ...

The 2014 winners of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) Beer Academy Beer Sommelier of the Year awards were announced at the BII’s prestigious Annual Lunch held at the Grosvenor House Park Lane. The winning sommelier for the UK is Jane Peyton, who is a beer writer and drinks event organiser. Jane will be invited to present the beers at the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group’s Annual Dinner held in Westminster on July 9. The judges also awarded a second prize for the first time this year for International BII Beer Academy Beer Sommelier of the Year to Hans Tryggvason. Hans, an Icelander, works in the gastropub, Håndverkerstuene, in Oslo. Applicants were whittled down to a shortlist of eight, from which four contenders were selected for a rigorous interview with the judging panel. They were asked to suggest beer matches for the three course BII Annual Lunch menu, conduct a tutored tasting of a bottled craft beer and demonstrate how to present a beer in perfect condition in...

This week, beer lovers from around the UK will be spoilt for choice at the 'W-Ales Beer Festival' being held at the Millennium Stadium Cardiff from Thursday to Saturday, June 5-7 . International award-winning brewer Evan-Evans is to launch five new beers at the festival and will be unveiling a new beer brand called Porter Street London Brewery. Evan-Evans is now one of the UK’s leading specialist brewers, brewing a range of cask-conditioned ales that are widely recognised throughout the UK. The company enjoys UK-wide distribution through companies such as Carlsberg, JD Weatherspoon’s, and Mitchells and Butlers. Evan-Evans Group Chief Executive Simon Buckley said: "We will be launching five new beers from our extensive brand portfolio at the festival, including two from our new London Brewery which launches in June. "Beer lovers will be able to enjoy for the first time, Archers Summer Solstice, Artisan Craft Beers, Amarillo and Tank 3, as well as the new Porter S...

The latest 'Iechyd Da' beer column for the Carmarthen Journal newspaper, written by award-winning brewer Simon Buckley, chief executive of Llandeilo-based Evan-Evans Brewery Well, dear readers, it’s summer time; time for golden beers, lazy days and the thrill of trying new beers. Time for the brewery cricket team to find their kit and get ready for the Llandeilo ‘Ashes’ series (more of that in due course) and time for you to try some great ales from Wales at the Great W-Ales Beer Festival in Cardiff. The inaugural W-Ales Beer Festival is being held at Cardiff’s massive Millennium Stadium between June 5 and 7. Generally, the current market is difficult, and I sometime wonder if the economic recovery actually is getting to us in the regions? For your Llandeilo brewer, however, we are having one of the best years we have had in a very long time. But why are we succeeding where others are finding it difficult? We have now built our business predominantly outside Wales. Whi...

The Iechyd Da beer column written for the Carmarthen Journal by award-winning brewer Simon Buckley, chief executive of Llandeilo-based Evan-Evans Brewery. It’s been the sort of winter where Noah would have felt quite at home. I think this has been the longest wettest winter I have experienced in nearly 40 years in the brewing industry. We have had customers flooded out, customers without electricity for weeks on end, and a drinking public that gave up trying to get to the pub on the wettest of nights. That was January and February, then there was a lamentable Six Nations performance by Wales - and the pub trade was in the doldrums. But each year Easter is like a beacon. It’s the time when the brewers and the licensees of Wales look forward to the better seasons ahead and make strenuous efforts to make one with our God to make sure that the weather is kind to us! This year, spring started in a very different way, with the Budget. Regular readers of this column will know that I hav...

Wales’s leading specialist brewer, the Evan-Evans Group, has appointed Michelle Francis as operations manager for its growing retail pub estate. Michelle, 34, steps into the newly-created role following four years in charge of the Evan-Evans flagship pub, The Cricketers in Cathedral Road, Cardiff. “Michelle has driven one of the great success stories of the Welsh licensed trade,” said Evan-Evans chief executive Simon Buckley. “The Cricketers is widely recognised as the best eating pub in Cardiff and has consistently led from the front. Her appointment was an obvious one. “She is now going to work with me driving our new pub acquisitions and apprenticeship programme, building a team of young managers to take the business on to the next stage of development. “We are determined to grow our own management team from our ranks of talented Welsh men and women - and Michelle will lead the search.” Evan-Evans has five pubs throughout Wales and hopes to add a further five over the next six mon...

Iechyd Da beer column, written for the Carmarthen Journal by Simon Buckley, chief executive of the Llandeilo-based Evan-Evans brewery - As part of this year’s St David’s Day celebrations, I was very proud to host a dinner party at Parliament in Westminster, London. With the support of Roger Williams, Lib Dem MP for Brecon and Radnor, I was able to arrange a cross-party event to celebrate our patron saint and the Welsh brewing industry. With MPs from all parties present, the evening was a great opportunity to share with our political lords and masters what we are doing in the Welsh brewing industry. A surprise visitor was Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, who could not be influenced to take a drink and then spill the beans on the spring Budget! Naturally, when I was asked to share my ‘wish list’ for what I wanted from the Budget, I wasn’t backwards in coming forwards with ideas! As an award-winning brewer with a wonderful family history in the brewing business, it is m...

The Beer Academy has just accredited its 50th Sommelier. Three passionate beer advocates, Jonny Tyson, Lisa Wadlow and John Westlake, passed their viva voce examination with Beer Academy Chief Examiner Alex Barlow to take the number of Beer Academy Sommeliers to 50. Beer Academy Director Simon Jackson said “It was just over three years that the first four Beer Academy Sommeliers received their stripes in late 2011. Now 50 people have been accredited and the next two assessment sessions are already sold out. This qualification has really caught the imagination of beer lovers not only in the UK but around the world. "The most striking thing about the Beer Academy Sommeliers is not just their fascination with all things beer but their sheer diversity. We have brewers both large and small, pub landlords, professional beer tasters, beer writers and people from outside the industry who just love beer. What they share is an encyclopaedic knowledge of beer - and a passion to spr...

The Carmarthen Journal Iechyd Da beer column by Llandeilo brewer Simon Buckley, chief executive of Evan-Evans Brewery. It was Sigmund Freud who once asked ‘What do women really want?’ I am sure that question is not Politically Correct, but being PC would be a first for me! Over the last three months (while the Journal’s Iechyd Da column has been ‘off air’, so to speak), we have been far from idle in the Evan-Evans Brewery in Llandeilo. To the contrary we have been working like demons trying desperately to answer Freud’s big question. And the answer is? Well, if only it was a simple one-liner. It’s not - and we hope that after three months of market research we have come up with an answer that goes some of the way to answering what is really the question of the moment, how do we get ladies to enjoy beer and to sample new products? The answer, we believe, is to look at the opportunity of creating a new range of craft beers that develop wonderful new flavours, unique hop and m...

The Beer Academy has appointed Alex Barlow as its Director of Training and Chief Examiner to replace George Philliskirk who retires after nine years with the organisation. Simon Jackson Beer Academy Director said “Under George’s stewardship the Beer Academy has established itself as one of the World’s most respected providers of Beer Education and he was always going to be a very tough act to follow. "I am delighted that Alex has agreed to take up the mantle. His career as a Master Brewer, brand manager for a number major beer brands and independent brewing consultant makes him uniquely qualified for the role. Developing compelling beer training requires not only state of the art technical knowledge but also tip top communication skills. Alex has both in abundance.” Alex Barlow said “Too many people still think that beer is a rather boring commodity that all tastes the same. Nothing can be further from the truth. It’s the most fascinating drink in the world. Companies t...

Leading Welsh brewer Evan-Evans has roundly condemned the national brewers for the new price increases that are planned for January 2014. With price increases across the board of over 6p per pint, which translates to 20p at the bar, this is a price increase too far. Simon Buckley, Chief Executive of Evan-Evans said: "This year the government gave way and supported the industry with the removal of the duty escalator and a duty reduction - the first time for 57 years. "Now the national brewers, Coors and the other top four, are pushing their prices up in the trade, and as a result are sending our on trade customers to the supermarkets. "When are they going to get the message that the consumer cannot and will not pay an additional 20p per pint? "The consumer is already spending more and more in the supermarkets. Despite the best efforts by companies like mine to drive the pub marketplace and to create customer value, the big brewers have lost touch and have forg...

  The Iechyd Da beer column for the Carmarthen Journal by Llandeilo brewer Simon Buckley, chief executive of Evan-Evans Brewery -  Thank goodness we are not in the Euro Zone. Well, of course, we are in the Euro Zone, but we are not part of the Euro and all that goes with that. The Buckley family holidays this year took to the South of France and I am delighted to report the weather was wonderful. But, of course, dear reader, there was a ‘but’! Ever since the introduction of the Euro, I have thought that rural France (and for that matter rural Ireland) has suffered as a result of the introduction of the single currency. We have known for a long time that the rural economy in Europe has taken a nosedive, but for a brewer in foreign lands nothing is more depressing than that moment when the mercury surges north past the 40 degrees C mark and the search becomes ever more difficult for a glass of beer! Based near Agen, between Bordeaux and Toulouse, the rural economy is d...

The Beer Academy has appointed pub retailing expert and Beer Academy Sommelier, Alastair Scott, as Development Director to spearhead the next phase of the organisation’s growth. Beer Academy Director Simon Jackson said “The past three years have seen some great success for the Beer Academy. There are now over 40 Beer Academy Sommeliers and August set a monthly record number of course applications since the Academy was created ten years ago. “Our mission is to educate, enlighten and enthuse people about beer. The launch of recent campaigns like “Let there be beer” and “Its better down the pub” show that more and more people share this ambition. The time is ripe for the Beer Academy to step change its impact and revolutionise the way that people look at beer.” Beer Academy Development Director, Alastair Scott said “My interest in beer and pubs was first sparked when I became a bar manager at University. This spurred me to join Bass when I graduated and I have worked in the sector e...

The All Party Parliamentary Beer Group presented its award for the "Beer Sommelier of the Year" to Sophie Atherton at the Annual Beer Awards dinner held in Westminster. Commenting on the Award, Andrew Griffiths MP, Chairman of the Group, said "The Beer Academy launched its Sommelier qualification less than two years ago and already forty aficionados have achieved this ultimate beer qualification. They are doing a great job bringing beer to life to people who may have forgotten just how diverse and versatile our national drink can be. "I am delighted that the Beer Group's Beer Sommelier of the Year award is awarded to Sophie Atherton, who has been tireless in her mission to bring the beer message to the widest possible audience; whether it be in her articles for the Guardian, via her beer blog a "FemAle View" or being interviewed for Radio 4. Sophie says that her ambition is to encourage others to love the best drink in the world as much as she does h...