February was a long month, even though technically it’s the shortest month of the year! It has given me time to play around with some recipe ideas I have in mind for brewing later in the year.
We were all eagerly awaiting the update from Boris Johnson on the 22nd. Wondering what the future holds! Will all the fermentation vessels be full of delicious beer again? When will we be able to enjoy a perfectly conditioned beer at a pub again? Would Boris comb his hair to address the nation this time?
Sat glued to the TV at 7pm on a Monday night.
Then the announcement dropped.
“On the 12th of April the hospitality industry, including pubs and Restaurants is expected to reopen outdoors with the rule of six or new two-household rule in force.”
Just the news we had been hoping and waiting for. A date we can now work towards, something that brings hope to the future. Those pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants that are lucky enough to have beer gardens, would be allowed to serve food and drink to the public again. At the same time I also felt sorry for those establishments that do not have viable outdoor space, and have to hang in there a little longer, 35 days to be precise. One thing that I keep saying to myself is these venues will come back bigger and stronger than before, their loyal customers will show this with their feet and bums on seats.
Shortly after the announcement, my phone was going into meltdown. I had like minded brewers contacting me to share the good news, discussing ideas on how we will proceed going forward, what beers we will be brewing and offering to our customers. It was all the excitement we needed to get our creative minds working again. Although we have been brewing throughout the lockdown to keep a fresh supply of beer, this was the edge of the seat news we needed to get the juices flowing.
Over the coming weeks we will decide what beers will be brewed. Now you may think this is a simple job, however there is a lot of prep and planning work involved in this, something that I can really sink my teeth into.
For starters we have to make sure we have sufficient ingredients to brew. There are malt, hops, yeast & chemical orders to place.
When are we going to start upping production?
How much are we actually going to brew?
Do we have enough empty casks?
Are we bringing furloughed staff back to work?
All these decisions will take some time to make. We are asking our customers to “pre order” beer to ensure that all delivery and expectations are met. We are focusing on delivering fresh quality cask ale in time for the opening of their establishments. We believe the general public have been waiting long enough to enjoy a pint in their local. I know I have.