Miles from the average 'fizz'

Richard Keene pours a sample of Cotswold Premium Lager, watched by Emma Keene, holding Florence (left) and Kitty

A young family's hunt for headquarters for their new business was solved in an unconventional, but appropriate, way by a chat in a local pub.

Richard Keene, 37, and his wife Emma, 32, wanted to set up a brewery near their home in Churchill, near Chipping Norton. They didn't want to commute because they had moved to the area to get away from the rat race with their daughters Florence, 17 months, and baby Kitty.

Mr Keene said: "We asked around the village and in the local pub, and someone suggested this site in Foscot."

With a degree in brewing and distilling from Herriot Watt University in Edinburgh, a career with Courage, and then as head brewer at Archer's in Swindon, Mr Keene had the perfect background for setting up his own business, which they have called the Cotswold Brewing Company. He said: "I could see that there was a gap in the marketplace. The big brewers are the ones who make the lagers, so it is a bit of a David and Goliath situation.

"We are trying to improve the quality and it seemed strange to me that no small breweries in the UK were making lager."

While Germany has 1,200 small breweries, most making lager, Britain has just 400. However, small breweries here are multiplying withGovernment encouragement and the number is up from 100 a few years ago, said Mr Keene.

He added: "lnterBrew, who make Hoegarden and Leffe, are starting the education process for us by making alternative lagers to the 'disco fizz' that most brewers produce."

The Keenes hope their Cotswold Premium Lager will soon be on sale at local pubs, including the King's Head at Bledington and the Chequers in Churchill. It will be produced in small quantities at first as the recipe is refined 5,000 pints per brew, with the process taking four to five weeks.

He said: "At the moment I am turning down big orders because I want to get it right, rather than churning it out. We will sell it in the local area so I can make sure it is getting a big reputation."

The hops come from Oregon, USA, and Hallertau, in Germany, while the yeast is from Switzerland and the malted barley from the UK.

Mr Keene said: "I know the Cotswolds is not a traditional area for lager, but the technology can now be adapted anywhere and the setting is not important.

"There are a lot of freehouse pubs here and it is an area where people appreciate the better quality things in life that is possibly why they live here, because it is so beautiful.

"We want to offer something better than the standard fizz."

Miles from the average 'fizz'

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