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BEER NEWS - March 2009

SABMiller Travel Writer


photo Lloyd Sturdy/ Visual media

   Lorena Di Nola, a 27 year old translator from London, has been chosen from hundreds of entries as the winner of the first SABMiller Travel Writer competition. Since March 1st she has been on a month long tour of Europe, writing up her experiences on the travel pages of The Independent newspaper website. SABMiller last year asked readers of The Independent to write to them about a European city they wanted to most enjoy a beer in and why. Aspiring writers from across the world entered to win the chance to explore the role that beer plays in seven European countries - the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Italy, Hungary and Holland with
Lorenas dreams of Rome taking the prize. "This is what I've always wanted to do," said Lorena, "so the chance to write for an educated audience in a national newspaper is going to be an adrenaline rush on a daily basis." The all expenses paid month long trip will offer Lorena the chance to report on the brewing industry on European culture in a travel blog. She will spend a minimum of 4 nights and visit a local SABMiller brewery in each country, whilst exploring the culture and customs that have arisen around beer. The Beer Blog appears on The Independent's website for the duration of the trip.

new �700,000 bottling line for St Austell

Work has started on a major �700,000 project (right) to build a new in-house bottling line at Cornwall�s biggest brewer - St Austell Brewery. The bottling line represents a significant investment by the Brewery in its operations in Cornwall and has been driven by "soaring demand" for its ales both regionally and nationally. Sales of St Austell Brewery�s flagship Tribute Ale have risen for eight consecutive years since ins launch in 2001, and by 20 per cent in the past 12 months. The new bottling plant supplied by Krones will allow the brewery to meet future demand, with the initial capacity to bottle up to 100,000 bottles a week.
  
The project has been supported by an �180,000 investment by the South West RDA though its Grant for Business Investment programme. Roger Ryman (above), St Austell Brewery's Head Brewer, said: "This is a hugely exciting project for the Brewery and puts us in a great position to meet the increasing demand for our bottled beers in supermarkets, the off-trade market and the rising popularity of beer with food."

local brewers outperform market


   In marked contrast to the decline in volumes reported by national and global brewers, the local brewing sector grew by a total of 10 per cent in 2008. Of this, three per cent was contributed by new brewers not operational throughout all of 2007, leaving 'like for like' volumes up by an impressive seven per cent. The growth of the local brewery industry has been achieved through increased distribution and increased rate of sale according to the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA). "While draught ale is the mainstay of the local brewer, bottled beer is growing fast," according to SIBA: "Last year, bottled beer volumes increased by over 50 per cent."

St Patrick heads oop north

The pubs of The Head of Steam Ltd in Newcastle upon Tyne, Huddersfield and Liverpool will be offering a range of Irish ales from north and south of the border including Hilden, College Green, Whitewater and Messrs Maguire as part of their St Patrick's day celebrations. "We'll try and have all the Irish ales on sale on St Patrick's Day itself," said Tony Brookes
  
, Managing Director of The Head Of Steam Ltd. "but it will probably not be possible in Huddersfield - it depends how fast the casks get polished off! In our Newcastle pubs, we've given enthusiasts a bit of a challenge, by mixing the different ales up between the pubs. So fans will have to keep ringing up the pubs to check what's on where." Ian Taylor, Operations and Marketing Manager, said "as soon as a cask finishes and another goes on, we'll try and get it on our web site immediately - then fans can chase the ales they want around town. The beers will be available in The Head Of Steam; The Cluny; Tilleys Bar (Newcastle upon Tyne), The Head Of Steam (Huddersfield) and The Head Of Steam (Liverpool). www.theheadofsteam.co.uk

Chiswick's best kept secret


   Fuller, Smith & Turner has announced the re-opening of its Brewery Shop at its Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London. The shop stocks the full range of Fullers beers, including some cask beers. Customers can also chose from a wide selection of wines and spirits. It is also a treasure trove for the Fuller�s aficionado, with a range of merchandise including golf wear, polo shirts and glassware. John Roberts, MD of Fuller�s, said; �The shop has been a hidden gem for far too long and it is time that we shared it with the rest of the world. Certainly we hope that the residents of Chiswick and beyond will visit to find out more about what we have to offer.�
  

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