That’s the only place his beers are available at. He invited me to a tour of the brewery/his shed post lockdown so that will cement the crown on my head.
You have seen Pulp Fiction…
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never too old to be groomed Mark !
It seems a very professional set up. He’s already sent me some PPE.
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I’m a bit late to the party on this one…
Like most people I either struggle to find Surrey beers or don’t hunt them out. I have rated a grand total of 39 beers from this county. Which is my 4th lowest (and only above Worcestershire, Buckinghamshire and the Isle of Wight).
My total has recently increased slightly as a new local beer seller had a few Big Smoke beers in stock which I ordered.
https://www.ratebeer.com/p/stamford-beers-direct/95031/
5 beers for £10.50 plus delivery.
No beers have rated a 4 or over. The top two both Big Smoke and rated 3.6.
Only rated 1 place in Surrey, which was part of my on hold attempt to rate a place in each county.
Stopped in for lunch on the way to a holiday cottage on the south coast.
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My comments about Poppyland not being particulary keen make their own beer available is definitely something that is an issue in Surrey. I guess some of the smaller breweries can sell their entire output via local shops and pubs but a number of Surrey brewries just seem to be completely lacking in any PR skills. Hedgedog were listed as closed on various sites including here because they failed to update their websites or social media pages or respond to the local CAMRA rep. Their beers just occasionally turned up at local pubs. They have now relaunched but have made one post in about 18 months. Similarly Fuzzchat brewpub’s own Twitter feed rarely mentions the fact that they are a brewery and has instead been tweeting about the Brewer’s own holidays. Thurston’s is similar - in fact I know that a local shop owner offered to take of their Twitter feed for them. There are then of course the breweries that just don’t distribute their beer - the remote brewpubs of course and also Frensham Brewery (now Craft Brews) who a couple of years ago decided to solely sell their beers from their tap. That taps is on a farm. The first time I went there my sat nav took me through a ford and then into a forestry commission car park and I abandoned the trip as I had to get back to work. Did better planning then next time and made my way through a farm to get to it. On leaving I found it was milking time so the lane was blocked by the farm’s herd of cows. The guy at the brewey justvtold me to nudge the car forward or get out and shoo the cows if the former did not work. Hence a pair of trainers getting binned after being covered in cow shit.
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bearded avenger - there should be an annual award for dedication to the task of getting a beer! I nominate you.
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112 Surrey rates which ranks me sixth, I’m sure far higher than I am for any other country or region. I’ve lived near Surrey for most of my life, so it ought to be high. Surprised to see I’ve had 18 of the top 20 rated beers, without trying to. Again I won’t have done that anywhere else.
Big Smoke are great, them moving just over the border from Surbiton has massively helped me with Surrey. A lot of my mates are still in the Kingston area so in normal times I drink in the Antelope and the Albion a lot. The Flintgate, their newer place in Weybridge, is great too.
Surrey Hills are a great brewery. Don’t brew loads of different beers so no one will have many ticks but they just do a few things really well.
Bars wise, Cobbett’s is brilliant, so is Flintgate and I need to try Growlers and Cans post Covid. The Ascot taproom is good too. Places Redhill/Reigate way I don’t really know.
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Apparently Surrey Hills Shere Drop is the best selling bitter in Surrey and it really pisses off the managing director at Hogs Back. It’s also supposedly one of the reasons why they do such a small range of beers, and it’s the only one they bottle, due to production capacity.
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Must admit when I lived in said county I was all over that like a rash when I saw it compared to any HB beer !
Yeah it’s nice and I can believe it’s the best selling bitter, you see it a lot. Same for Ranmore. Greensand IPA a much rarer find but it’s lovely.
The brewery is indeed very small, I did the tour years ago. I say tour, it’s so small there’s not much to see, but it was great to just drink and chat with them.
I read that and thought of Surry Hills in Sydney, where Sydney Brewery is located
Surry Hills is named after Surrey Hills in Surrey, although they didn’t spell it right!
“The first land grants in Surry Hills were made in the 1790s. Major Joseph Foveaux received 105 acres (0.42 km2). His property was known as Surry Hills Farm, after the Surrey Hills in Surrey, England.”
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Things look up in Surrey. My local farmers Market in West Byfleet had a Mead stall but today also has a craft stand, Growlers & Cans from Guildford.
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Well most people’s Surrey ratings are about to take a boost. By the Horns are moving from South London to Surrey to a brand new brewery set up. I don’t have an address as yet but as it has already happened it should be soon.
By the Horns will still be based in Wandsworth but will then be brewing at two sites:
“They are building a second brewery near Redhill, which will house the keg and canning lines.”
Best I have so far are job opportunities for By the Horns for 2 x Production Brewers and 1 x Sales Account Manager at Salfords near Redhill, Surrey.
For those interested
https://bythehorns.co.uk/jobs/
I took and look at Reigate & Banstead BC’s planning applications but not on there. Would have thought they’d have to apply for a change of use, etc.
I thought I’d found a new brewery in Chobham earlier in the week. But it was people brewing Kombucha who wanted to make it very clear that their product was better and healthier than beer.
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Could it be a new build factory unit? In the end they will require a local council Food Hygiene rating which will give an address. Not sure why they are being so secretive about this, unless they have something to hide!
I note that you’ve been having some of those Disruption Is Brewing beers that Ascot produce. Not been very impressed with the Pales but do have an Impy Stout to try. It may just be that I hold a grudge - I made some sarcastic comments when they first announced this branding exercise on Facebook and they screenshot them as some sort of evidence to use against me.
