Cotswold Spring

By Richard James

Friday 9^lh June was a glorious summer's evening as we left the Glue Pot in Emlyn Square and headed for junction 16 of the M4 to visit the Cotswold Spring Brewery at Codrington near Chipping Sodbury. The brewery is very easy to find, it is just 5 minutes off junction 18.

We were greeted at the brewery by brewer Nik Milo who joined Cotswold Spring from the Corref brewery in Brittany in May 2005. Nik has extensive brewing experience including stints with the Firkin chain when they were brew pubs.

The Cotswold Spring brewery is the brainchild of business men John Warlock and Warren Bryant. They set the brewery up from scratch in the spring of 2005 and from the outset they were determined to use the best local ingredients. This includes spring water from the Cotswold Spring Water company which is sited next door which gives the brewery its name. The hops come from Worcestershire and the malt from Warminster.

The brewery is custom built and very compact with a range of three regular beers - Codrington Codger (4.2%), Codrington Royal (4.5%), and Olde English Rose (4.0% ). In addition they have a number of season specials including the World Cup themed It's Coming Home (4.3%) which Nik invited us to sample first. This is a lager beer and went down well on a hot evening; I can see this being very popular over the next few weeks!

The next special will be Apricot Harvest (TBC%) which contains real Apricot and is one of Nik's personal favourites.

By now we had been joined by John Warlock who told us the story of how their first beer CSB Mystery was brewed. This was very much a joint effort. Nik had come over from Brittany to apply for the brewer's job and had immediately impressed John & Warren. He was hired on the spot and started the first Cotswold Spring brew. However, it was John & Warren who had to finish this off while Nik returned to Brittany to arrange his move back to Britain

John did not explain exactly what happened next except to say that "...everything went wrong" and point to the heat damaged ceiling above the Copper! Luckily all was not lost and on his return Nik declared the beer a success and it was decided to send it to the Avon Vale Festival under the name CSB Mystery. It proved a great success and won the brewery its first award!

After many more samples and a very informative discussions with our hosts we reluctantly headed back to out minibus to head for home, via a few pubs of course!

The TUN - Summer 2006

Cheers - to super day for supping

 

COTSWOLD Spring Brewery and Cotswold Spring Water both opened their doors to the public as part of the South Gloucestershire Food Festival

 

 

 

TOP: VISITORS and staff taste a pint of Codrington Codger at the  Cotswold Spring  Brewery  Open  Day  on  Saturday  in Dodington Ash GSR1382H06

 

LEFT: STEVE and Julie Routley, centre,   were given a tour of Cotswold Spring Water, during their Open Day, on Saturday, by Directors John and Joan Marshall GSR1381VO6

West Country Life - November 2006

The rise and rise of a very British brewery

Dave Betts raises a glass to a brewing operation that blends our national virtues with great success

  In these days where the national identity can barely look at itself in the mirror, not knowing whether to wear a baseball cap, hood, veil or paper bag on its head. It seems we need a reminder of what it is to be quintessentially British.

  Just off the M4 junction 18, on the A46 towards Stroud, there is a turning left onto the B4465. Half a mile down a steep incline, it levels off and on the left there is an entrance. If you blink you'll miss it.

  As inconspicuous and innocuous as this entrance maybe, it will take you to a place where you can witness living proof that the indomitable British spirit is alive and kicking. It is here that it has manifested itself in a pint of Codrington Codger (4.2%).

  Don't think beer guts and beards, think Branson and Brunel, think Great Britons. Here is a tale of courage, ingenuity, tenacity, destiny, a dose of business acumen, and a minor case of kidnap.

  Two friends John Worlock and Warren Bryant, both directors of their own companies, realised too much time spent on the road racing with the other rats was not conducive to a happy and fulfilling home-life. Warren had the idea of setting up an independent brewery.

  His inspiration came from "a fella I knew, who had his own small brewery". Warren and John formulated a business plan, aptly over a pint in the Codrington Arms; (I like to think on the back of a beer mat). On board hopped another friend Vic Giles as shareholder and now Transport Manager.

  Then came tales from across the water of a man known as "The Bear" a brewer for over twenty years, discontented with working at the Coreff brewery in Brittany. John and Warren set out on a quest to find and persuade him to come and work for them in England.

  When asked how they tempted him back, "transit van", "bundle" and "back of" seem to be the key factors. The Bear aka Nick Milo is now the head brewer at the company.

  What more appropriate site for a brewery with an ethos for using the purist, highest quality local ingredients, then at the source of a natural spring. Their brewery is housed in a custom made building adjacent to The Cotswold Spring Company (for directions see intro).

  They take the water for their beer and with due homage to the spring, take the company's name: The Cotswold Spring Ale Company.

  They had the building, equipment (care of The Felon and Firkin in Leeds), ingredients, name and their brewer. It was time for beer.

  "We didn't have much confidence with the result of our first 'trial' beer." John reminisces. "Nick our head brewer started the process but had to go back to France in the middle of the brew to wrap up some loose ends." (Something to do with the abruptness of his leaving). It was left up to Warren and John to finish it all.

  "Warren and I recall that we worked well together, relying on intuition, improvisation and keeping a cool head. Friends say we fought like tomcats and just winged it."

  There were a few glitches, the fermenting vessel overheated, causing it to over flow and burn the brand new ceiling. " We had to describe to Nick over the phone what the mash (fermenting liquid) looked like at its various stages during the fermenting period. It was all part of the ride on the learning curve, but at the end we had beer, we just weren't sure if whether it would sell".

  It was entered at the Avon Valley Railway Beer Festival under the name of CSB (Cotswold Spring Beer) Mystery. It out sold all the other beers 5 to 1 and claimed the Gold Beer award from the Patrons. The certificate is proudly displayed on the wall at the brewery. This fledgling ale eventually grew up to be their flagship beer Codrington Codger (4.2%).

  That was July 2005, what of 2006 and beyond? They've got two new beers: Honey Bear (5.2%), out now and Uncle Dicks Cottage (6.3%) available from mid October along with stalwarts, Codrington Codger (4.2%), Codrington Royal (4.5%), and Olde English Rose (4.0%), all available from the brewery, sold in boxes or on pump in a number of local pubs.

  An impassioned John tells me of the company's hopes for the future. "As with any new business, it takes a while for it to become a going concern. We started off by producing forty casks a week. We're getting our beer into more and more pubs, and are up to eighty casks a week because of the demand. This means we can start putting money back into the business. We want to build a shop and a place for beer tasting. The concept from the outset was a brewery that was accessible to the public. A place you can get great beer from, learn about it and be part of the whole brewing experience." 

  He pauses. " You have to a believe in yourself and in what you're doing to begin a venture like this, but then it becomes a passion, so who knows what we're capable of."

 The Cotswold Spring Ale Company along with others must be rattling a few of those ubiquitous homogenised pub chains. If not they should, because the 'brewing experience' gives you a taste of something a bit more wholesome, a bit more unique, a bit more individual. What better exemplifies the British character than a pint of independently brewed beer with the smack of the original and the incorrigible tang of doing it your own way.

  So raise a glass to the very Best of British. In this instance Codrington Codger (4.2%) or even a pint of Honeybear (5.2%) or maybe Uncle Dicks Cottage (6.3%), I haven't even tried the Olde English Ro………

GLOUCESTERSHIRE becomes 1,000 years old this year and events will be held across the county to celebrate.

The launch of the centenary celebrations on July 20 will be kicked off with the unveiling of the millennium ale.

The Cotswold Spring Brewery has brewed a special beer to commemorate the county's cen­tenary year.

Gloucestershire's Glory will be launched at the Dick Whittington Pub on July 20.

Attending the launch party will be Gloucestershire's poet laureate who has composed a special poem for the day along with the Lord-Lieutenant and High Sheriff.

All three will be on hand to offer their professional opinion of the county's millennium ale which is described as a golden beer with a distinctive citrus flavour.

The millennium ale will be on sale at local pubs and fest­ivals across the county including, the Cheltenham Cricket Festival and Cotswold Beer Festival.

It is hoped that Gloucester­shire's Glory will prove popular enough to become a regular fea­ture in county pubs.

Cotswold Spring Brewery has a tradition of success with its 'Olde English Rose' being voted Beer of the 2007 Festival at Cirencester in May.

A percentage of the profits made from the sale of the millennium ale will be donated to the Gloucestershire Community Foundation's Millennium Appeal.

Project Co-ordinator, Laura Fleming said:

"This centenary project offers a great opportunity for individuals and organisations to make their mark and create their own events to celebrate the county's millennium."

Alan Stephens, project officer for the Campaign for Real Ale said: "Let's hope they choose 'Gloucestershire's Glory' this year, and support local charit­ies in the spirit of our county's 1,000th birthday."

 

How will you be celebrating?-Have your say, visit our website www.thisisgioucestershtre.co.uk