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Business Of The Year Award by SIBA
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 Woodforde’s Brewery has been named Brewery Business of the Year at the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) BeerX Business Awards.
The brewery, based in Woodbastwick, Norfolk, scooped the coveted accolade along with the prestigious Best Customer Service Award at the ceremony held in Sheffield on Friday 15th March 2013.
Judges were impressed by the Woodforde’s Club, with its 19,000 members and the biannual Woodforde’s East Anglia Ale Trail (this year expected to take in around 700 pubs); both of which demonstrate the brewery’s commitment to both the customers who love Woodforde’s beers and the retailers who sell it.
Rupert Farquharson, Managing Director at Woodforde’s comments: “We’re well known for our award-winning beers but it’s wonderful to be recognised for what goes on behind the scenes. The whole team at the brewery is completely committed to attracting more people who love real ale into pubs, so being named Business of the Year by our peers is incredibly important to us.”
Keith Bott, SIBA chairman, said: “Brewing a quality craft beer isn’t in itself a route to commercial success – brewers need to market their beers, design professional pump clips and labels, support their customers and engage with their local communities. With talented and dedicated individuals like the team at Woodforde’s at the forefront of local brewing, we should be optimistic about the prospects for the sector, which is continuing to show growth well ahead of the total UK beer market.”
In 2011, Woodforde’s celebrated 30 years of brewing and will be launching its seventh East Anglia Ale Trail on Fathers Day Sunday 16th June 2013.
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£5,000 from Beer for Bitterns
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 Half a million pints of ‘Once Bittern’, the specially-brewed Woodforde’s ale, have been sold over a two year period, raising over £5,000 for Norfolk Wildlife Trust and helping towards the protection of wildlife habitats across the county.
Based in Woodbastwick, Woodforde’s brewery teamed up with Norfolk Wildlife Trust back in 2011 to produce the Norfolk ale. Every pint consumed has seen Woodforde’s pledge a donation to the Trust, raising almost £3,000 in 2011 and £2,250 in 2012.
The money has gone towards projects to help the beer’s namesake, the endangered bittern, as well as the construction of an otter holt at NWT Hickling Broad nature reserve, with man power provided by Woodforde’s staff.
 John Blackburn, Upper Thurne Warden of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, said: “We want to say a huge thank you to Woodforde’s not just for their hard work in constructing the otter holt but also their fantastic contribution thanks to the sale of Once Bittern to help this iconic bird species within the Broads and also helping other wildlife habitats in Norfolk.”
Dennis Nudd, Director of Woodforde’s commented: ‘’We have been delighted to support the crucial work of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Donating money is relatively easy, but we were particularly pleased that members of our brewery team wanted to help in a construction project that has made a real contribution to preserving our county’s wildlife.’’
The development of the elaborate otter holt at Hickling Broad, which Woodforde’s staff helped to construct, is designed to encourage otters to breed, rest and play away from the water’s edge. Wood scrub provided naturally by the nature reserve was used to put it together.
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Once Bittern can be ordered online in 18/ 36 pint Beerboxes and cases of 12 bottles by clicking here
Also available from Brewery Shop.
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Bruce is appointed the county’s first Beer Sommelier
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 Exciting news here at the Broadland Brewery with our Brewery Manager becoming the county’s first accredited Beer Sommelier.
Bruce Ash from Woodforde’s met with the exacting standards of the Beer Academy to become one of only 29 Beer Sommeliers in the UK, and the first from Norfolk. The year-long training course saw Bruce demonstrate his ability to assess different features of beer such as aroma, clarity, mouthfeel and drinkability, as well as show an understanding of brewing materials and the origins of beer styles.
For his practical project Bruce created a beer and food menu for the Black Boys in Aylsham in a bid to change attitudes towards matching beer and food, instead of wine. The course culminated in an exam which tested Bruce’s palette and knowledge of beer production.
Bruce comments: “I’m really proud to be flying the flag for brewing excellence in Norfolk. Becoming a Beer Sommelier is no easy task, but the course has improved my understanding of flavours, aromas and beer development which will enhance my role here at Woodforde’s.” The course was run and assessed by The Beer Academy in London, an educational body that was founded by a small group of beer enthusiasts in 2003 to help people understand, appreciate and enjoy beer sensibly. To date over 10,000 people have attended Beer Academy courses and tasting events such as the BBC Good Food Show, the Great British Beer Festival and the British Museum as well as in pubs and bars up and down the country.
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It’s no secret that we’re proud of our Norfolk roots but we were delighted when we found out we’d won the prestigious ‘Pride of Norfolk’ award at the annual Norfolk Food and Drink Awards 2012, hosted by the Eastern Daily Press.