A Bridgnorth brewery has used local honey to recreate an ale first brewed in the 1940s. The award-winning Bridgnorth Brewery, which is based behind the King’s Head pub in Whitburn Street, adapted the recipe from one written down by the head brewer’s grandfather more than 60 years ago.
The ale, which is called Rowley’s Honey Ale, is made using Rowley’s Shropshire honey which is produced on Shipley Farm in Pattingham. It proved a big hit with drinkers at the Bridgnorth Beer Festival who voted it the best beer at the annual event.
The brewery was set up a year ago by Andrew Brough, together with his wife Michelle and their business partners. Andrew, who has been a brewer for seven years, said he recently discovered the recipe and decided to see if he could recreate his grandfather’s favourite tipple.
And Andrew even discovered he could be distantly related to the producers of the honey when he started brewing the ale! “The recipe is my grandfather’s homebrew and he used to make it using local ingredients before the war started,” he said.
“His name was Thomas Rowley and he grew up in Pattingham. When I first approached the farm to buy the honey for the ale, I got talking with the farmer and he said he thought we could be distantly related.
“It’s a golden ale which is slightly sweet and not over-hopped. It’s nicely balanced and the honey gives it a nice, rounded finish. I couldn’t believe it when it won the best beer at the Bridgnorth Beer Festival. It wasn’t going to be put on at first because it’s slightly cloudy, but everyone kept drinking it and it soon sold out.
“My grandad died about four years ago so it’s been inspiring to try and recreate his recipe. I’ve dedicated it to him.”
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The 14th annual beer festival, organised by the Campaign for Real Ale, was centred around the Railwayman’s Arms and was based on the theme of the 200th anniversary of Trevithick’s building of Catch-Me-Who-Can. Thousands of pints were downed over the weekend event.
