Stuart's Message

Coronavirus Update (12.08.20)

I thought I would give you an update on where we are with the brewing of our beers.

I explained in my last update that brewing yeast needs treating with kindness, care and consideration. You can’t just wake it up after four months and expect it to immediately perform at its optimum, probably a bit like all of us!

With each passing week, our brewing yeast continues to thrive and perform probably better than it ever has done before (even brewing yeast benefits from a ‘holiday’!).

Scott, Joey and Carl (who between them have some 80 years brewing experience) are doing a great job in the brew house; milling, mashing, hopping, fermenting and conditioning.

Wainfleet smells of malt and brewing again. It’s so good to see maltsters and hop merchants delivering down Mill Lane again. It’s been a gradual process building up our yeast from a pure strain; each brew has produced an increased yeast ‘crop’ which has been stored ready for the next brew, resulting in us now being able to brew XB, Triple XB, and Gold, both in cask and key cask.

Our range of bottled beers continues to go extremely well; Triple XB, Combined Harvest, Mocha, Victory Ale and Dark Fruits Porter. To try and help pubs benefit from the take home opportunities, we are also about to introduce Triple XB in 5 litre mini-kegs and also have a good stock of 4 pint carry kegs.

Trade looks pretty good, particularly on the coast and pub visitors seem to be gaining confidence in the precautions which most publicans have put into place. Most of the precautions are about common sense, communication and systems. There is no need for great expense, but there are a few pubs that aren’t doing as much as they should. It is important that customers make their feelings known as, although the government has said there is no link between schools reopening and a national re-closure of pubs, they have imposed local lockdowns which will prove very challenging to recover from.

Enjoy the sunshine, enjoy pubs and enjoy the beer!

All the best,