Hello
This is us! Marc and Amy, with Daisy and Jack.
It's mid 2016 on a hot and sunny day and we upped sticks from Brighton in East Sussex and moved to the middle of Devon. We packed in sensible careers to try something different.
It had been a two year search to find the right place, hidden a few miles north of the wilds of Dartmoor. Westacott Barton is a 21 acre farmstead centered around a Grade II* thatched medieval farmhouse and a courtyard of C17th thatched barns. We have woodland, meadows and amazing views out over the Den Brook valley towards the moor.
(If you wanted to know more about the house then this English Heritage report doesn't mess around. Or you can book a stay in Meadow Cottage, which is the Southern Wing of Westacott Barton. Check the Meadow Cottage Facebook page for latest goings on).
It's mid 2016 on a hot and sunny day and we upped sticks from Brighton in East Sussex and moved to the middle of Devon. We packed in sensible careers to try something different.
It had been a two year search to find the right place, hidden a few miles north of the wilds of Dartmoor. Westacott Barton is a 21 acre farmstead centered around a Grade II* thatched medieval farmhouse and a courtyard of C17th thatched barns. We have woodland, meadows and amazing views out over the Den Brook valley towards the moor.
(If you wanted to know more about the house then this English Heritage report doesn't mess around. Or you can book a stay in Meadow Cottage, which is the Southern Wing of Westacott Barton. Check the Meadow Cottage Facebook page for latest goings on).
The brewery was a long-term ambition after years of home-brewing.
Many of our recipes originated in this camper van brewery - a bit like Breaking Bad but with Crystal Malts. Much time was spent hatching plans for a larger scale operation whilst cooking up those early beers.
Many of our recipes originated in this camper van brewery - a bit like Breaking Bad but with Crystal Malts. Much time was spent hatching plans for a larger scale operation whilst cooking up those early beers.
The plan
Start a micro-brewery in the large threshing barn. It sounded easy. The barn had recently been restored and there was plenty of space for brewing down the far end plus potential for an events area in the main hall. But it had stood empty since storing potatoes 30 years back, was Grade II listed and lacking any basic infrastructure.
With support from Historic England, we received planning and listed building permissions in January 2017 and commenced works on the floor, walls, electrics and drainage.
With support from Historic England, we received planning and listed building permissions in January 2017 and commenced works on the floor, walls, electrics and drainage.
We also went shopping on ebay, picking up a mostly complete and well travelled set of English made brewing vessels from Simon in Bridport. Here he is rocking a coordinated jacket and beer barrel look, before waving us off on our way.
We're not completely sure about the backstory to our vessels. They were probably made back in the 1970s for Scottish & Newcastle brewery as conditioning 'grundy tanks' and converted to microbrewery spec by ABUK in the early 1990s. Simon said he had bought them off Moorview Brewery in Ilkley when it closed. Before that, we think they were Goose Eye Brewery's at Turkey Inn in Keighley. They may also have passed through the hands of a Sherborne-based brewery for a time, but we're not sure on the details.
We're not completely sure about the backstory to our vessels. They were probably made back in the 1970s for Scottish & Newcastle brewery as conditioning 'grundy tanks' and converted to microbrewery spec by ABUK in the early 1990s. Simon said he had bought them off Moorview Brewery in Ilkley when it closed. Before that, we think they were Goose Eye Brewery's at Turkey Inn in Keighley. They may also have passed through the hands of a Sherborne-based brewery for a time, but we're not sure on the details.
Funding
In February we found out that we'd been successful in our application for an EU grant to help with start up costs. We could now go out and buy a brand new generator, two jacketed fermentation tanks and some shiny steel casks, greatly improving reliability and ultimately the quality of our ale.
Many thanks to Sophie Price and the team at The DR Company for their support with the LEADER scheme, which does a grand job supporting the rural economy, encouraging innovation and promoting the Greater Dartmoor area.
Many thanks to Sophie Price and the team at The DR Company for their support with the LEADER scheme, which does a grand job supporting the rural economy, encouraging innovation and promoting the Greater Dartmoor area.
The build
It was all systems go through Spring 2017. We man-handled our tanks into place and set about digging a big hole for our reed bed. We laid drainage pipes, sorted out pumps, and connected up electrics. Then we spent more time sorting out pumps, connecting up electrics and messing around with stainless steel pipes and fittings.
We put in our order for a load of shiny new steel casks and spent evenings chasing second-hand stainless steel kitchen fittings. Then we did some more fiddling with pumps, pipes and plumbing.
We also started ploughing through all the regulatory stuff: licencing, environmental, health & safety, and HMRC.
And we ordered two brand spanking new fermenting vessels with integrated cooling jackets. We kind of pushed the boat out a bit with these, but getting good fermentation temperature is critical to making great ale.
Almost as important, we got our logos painted on the van!
We also started ploughing through all the regulatory stuff: licencing, environmental, health & safety, and HMRC.
And we ordered two brand spanking new fermenting vessels with integrated cooling jackets. We kind of pushed the boat out a bit with these, but getting good fermentation temperature is critical to making great ale.
Almost as important, we got our logos painted on the van!
Starting off
|
We did our first brews in June & July 2017 and after a somewhat hazy period of intensive product development we began supplying local pubs in September. Demand was high and by the end of the year our ale had been served up in sixteen local freehouses, including a great double whammy by repeatedly getting our ale on the guest taps of Pub of the Year 2017 for CAMRA's 'North Devon' and 'Exeter and East Devon' branches within those first three months of starting out.
|
Moving forward
|
Our first batches of bottle conditioned ales were released in late 2018. It took a while designing bottle labels, packaging and perfecting carbonation levels... but stock of our ale in 500ml bottles is now reaching the thirsty drinkers of mid-Devon.
Our cask ale continues to hit the spot with local drinkers. We were very chuffed to make the final shortlist for North Devon Camra's 'Brewery of the Year' 2019 in only our second year of existence. We were voted third in the end, but hey being the third best brewery in North Devon is fine with us. Rock-and-roll! |
|
Pint of Corona?
|
I won't dwell on 2020. Overnight, COVID decimated the pub and brewery trade. All the pubs we supplied were forced to shut. Some probably won't be re-opening. During the lockdown, we re-focused our efforts on beer-in-box and bottles, establishing a regular weekly home delivery service. Our patch of mid-Devon probably escaped the worst of the actual virus, but it was no party.
Post-lockdown, we've decided to continue our regular home delivery service (every Friday) of fresh cask ale in a 'bag-in-box'. Different beers are available on rotation every week and we do a 9pt or 18pt option. Get your orders in by Weds for fresh ale on a Friday. |
|
Tap room launch (July 2021)
Yes, we've finally pulled our finger out and cleared out all the kids' toys, knocked up some benches and set up a bar in the brewery barn. It's a pretty spectacular space and very atmospheric under the open thatch. The plan is to open on Saturdays during the summer, between 3 & 6pm. We want it to be a nice, relaxed gathering of locals and the curious, where you can sample our latest creations, enjoy a few pints, and maybe pick up some bottles or a bag-in-box to enjoy at home.
We opened our doors for the first time on July 3rd at 3pm and then did most Saturdays through the summer. It was good fun and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We're back on for 2022, every Saturday from June 11th as before... we have a few surprises planned so keep an eye on faceboook for details nearer the time....
We opened our doors for the first time on July 3rd at 3pm and then did most Saturdays through the summer. It was good fun and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We're back on for 2022, every Saturday from June 11th as before... we have a few surprises planned so keep an eye on faceboook for details nearer the time....
Good times
Well stone me, 2022 and 2023 have flashed by in a riot of live music, bbq pulled pork, great ales, and renegade car parking! Core brewery business (selling cask ale to pubs) remained really tough - actually it barely makes sense from an economic perspective, what with energy prices, ingredient costs and the like - but the taproom is a lot of fun to do. It's good times every Saturday through the summer, often with live music performances from the likes of Crazy Goat or Red Dirt Band and tasty smokin' pulled pork from the Bushwacker BBQ Crew. We even served up our own homemade scrumpy cider for the very brave. Much fun's had by all. We'll need to pull out all the stops to make 2024 even better....
|
|
|
Our Facebook page outlines all the latest goings on. Or we'd be happy to tell you the full story when you visit.