Brewing up a storm in the Cotswolds
Richard & Emma Keene pictured with their daughters, Florence and Kitty
Katherine Macalister talks to Richard and Emma Keene who have set up a microbrewery in the heart of the county
Richard Keene was exhausted. But, considering he had been up all night brewing, it was hardly surprising.
With a new baby and small daughter to cope with, his wife and business partner, Emma, was also rather weary. But nothing could upset their sense of excitement and achievement.
Pints of lager being produced at the Keene's recently established Cotswold Brewing Company, based near Churchill, are being pulled in local freehouses in Churchill, Nether Westcote and Bledington, and demand is growing all the time.
The couple have already had to turn down potential customers from outside the county, wanting to concentrate on the local market instead. And they are determined not to overstretch themselves.
Having rented a barn from a neighbouring farmer, Richard and Emma got the Cotswold Brewing Company upandrunning this summer, after deciding there was a gap in the market for a good British lager.
"Seventy per cent of the population are lager drinkers in this country and, while there are hundreds of microbreweries making bitter, none are making lager that we can find, except for one in Greenwich that only distributes in London," Emma explained.
While her husband, who has been in the brewing business for decades, concentrates on making the beer, it is her job to market it.
"We are so excited about it and the more research we did realised that it's a great catchment area for the business because there are so many freehouses here and people are interested in buying local produce, supporting the local community and there's a strong sense of
pride in the area. We are just trying to tap into that market.
"When we realised we could produce a lager and market it, the idea was sown," she added.
"Richard is passionate about brewing and had always dreamed of starting his own company."
So how does the Cotswold Premium Lager differ from that in your everyday boozer?
"We are making it more in line with what's available on the continent with a light, golden fizz made from a combination of US and German hops. You can't buy English hops for lager that we know of," Emma added. "But we use local produce where possible.
"Women who say they hate lager are converting fast. My girlfriends have come over, convinced they don't like it but two pints later are total converts."
There's still a long way to go before the business is running smoothly and Emma knows what the limitations are.
"We don't have distribution vehicles, because we don't plan to go far. A ten mile radius is what we're concentrating on at the moment. We want to stay regional and don't want to be in the position where demand outstrips the production," she added.
They'll need to be very careful, because this lager doesn't look like it'll go flat in a hurry.
Archive
- Overview
- Working hard to give lager a good name
- Miles from the average 'fizz'
- Family ventures into brewing industry
- Cheers! Here's to the new Cotswold lager
- Chance to see your bright idea working
- Brewing up a storm in the Cotswolds
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