BORDERS’ BRWERIES LINE UP FOR NEW FESTIVAL AT TRAQUAIR
TRAQUAIR LAUNCHES REFERENDUM BREW
BEYOND BEER
A FEAST OF FINE ALES, FINE FOOD AND CRAFT BREWING
Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd August 2014
11am – 8pm
Traquair House Innerleithen Peeblesshire
Traquair’s new beer and food festival, Beyond Beer, is releasing its programme this week and unveiling details of a new beer to be launched at the Festival – Referendum Ale.
Beyond Beer will host all the breweries in the Borders – Traquair, Borders, Tempest, Broughton and new addition, Freewheelin’ as well as neighbouring brewers Stewart Brewing, Knopps and Top Off and from a little further a field, Arran Brewery.
Around 25 cask ales will be available over the weekend as well as Traquair’s new brew Referendum Ale (ABV 4%). Visitors to the festival will be invited to choose between two pumps “A Strong Ale for A Strong Union” or “For the Independent Drinker” and a straw poll will be taken at the end of the weekend as to which pump was the most popular.
A programme of talks and events will take place throughout the weekend with some of the UK’s best known beer writers and bloggers. They will include a session with Jane Peyton and Sophie de Ronde on Women in Beer which will entice women who thought they never liked beer to give it a try. There will a workshop and tasting looking at new beer and food matchings, and an innovative Beer & Music matching session with Pete Brown, the UK’s best know beer blogger. You can meet the brewers for all the breweries taking part and hear their stories as well as tasting their beer and listen to one of the world’s best known beer writers and tasters, Roger Protz give his views on the future of Beer. For those that want a behind the scenes tour of the Traquair Brewery these will also be taking place throughout the event.
A Home Brew competition has also been launched by Traquair and is still open for entries with the judging taking place on Sunday 3rd August.
As well as beer there will plenty of delicious foods to try and local producers including The Juicy Meat Company, Peelham Farm, Breadshare, Overlangshaw Ice Cream, The Sunflower, The Secret Herb Garden as well as a Pizza Oven, Vegetarian and vegan foods and a Borders’ food producers’ shop.
For children attending the event there is free and there will be plenty to keep them amused with a make your own pizza workshop and a food related arts and stories workshop.
Music will run all day and into the evening with jazz and blues from the Dias Quartet, the Nova Scotia Band, Hot Tin Roof, the Duck Pond Beer Band and the Border Boogie Band.
Tickets are £10 per adult and all children under 18 years are free (but must be accompanied by an adult). Book your tickets in advance and claim your first half pint of Referendum ale free! Tickets can be purchased online: www.traquair.co.uk/events.
For those that want to have a very special experience the Beer Banquet in the 18th century Dining Room at Traquair House will be taking place on Saturday night with a 6 course tasting menu accompanied by different beers for each course. The price for a place at the Beer Banquet is £46.00 per person and as numbers are limited for this event places should be booked separately by contacting the office on 01896 830323 or enquiries@traquair.co.uk
Contact Details: Catherine Maxwell Stuart Catherine@traquair,co.uk
Tel; 01896 830323
Editors Notes:
Biographies of Participants:
Roger Protz
Roger is one of the world’s leading beer writers and tasters. He is the author of 20 books on the subject, including the World Guide to Beer, The Ale Trail, The Taste of Beer and the best-selling 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. He has also edited 20 editions of the annual Good Beer Guide. He was named Glenfiddich Drink Writer of the Year in 1997 and 2004 and in 2003 was presented with the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award by the British Guild of Beer Writers. He has won two Gold and six Silver tankard awards from the guild and 13 awards from the North American Guild of Beer Writers. Roger broadcasts regularly and gives many public tutored beer tastings, including the annual Great British Beer Festival in London and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.
Jane Peyton
As founder (and Principal) of the School of Booze Jane has expertise in something that makes millions of people very happy – alcohol. Not just in the subject of modern alcohol and what best to drink but also the cultural history of alcohol.
Beer is a particular passion and Jane is Britain’s Beer Sommelier of the Year. Jane has been invited to create and brew beers in a number of breweries around the country including Fuller’s, Brewster’s, and Ilkley Brewery where her spruce beer ‘The Norseman’ is an award winner.
She is the author of several non-fiction books including ‘Brilliant Britain’; ‘School of Booze’ and ‘Beer o’ Clock’. Her writing work has appeared in magazines and newspapers including the Guardian and Independent. Jane has appeared on TV and is a regular guest on BBC radio programs.
Jane hosts tours of historic London pubs and in recognition of a year of 5 star reviews from customers, the international tour operator Viator awarded her the accolade of Best Local Operator (London) 2012 and again in 2014.
Jane is also the founder of Operalicious – unique music events where the food & drink served is themed and complemented by a professional opera singer and pianist.
Pete Brown
Pete Brown is a British writer who specialises in making people thirsty. He is the author of five-and-a-half books as well as the annual Cask Report, and numerous articles in the drinks trade press and consumer press. He appears regularly on TV and radio, and is a judge on the BBC Food and Farming Awards and the Great Taste Awards. He is a member of the British Guild of Beer Writers, and was named Beer Writer of the Year in 2009 and 2012.
Sophie De Ronde – Brentwood Brewing
I first got the beer bug when I was working in a well known real ale pub in Essex after I finished my degree in Equine Science. I was a bit lost in what direction I wanted to take my life, trying to find a job in the science and equine community was difficult to say the least so I continued in my bar job. Eventually I was running the cellar and fell in love with beer even more. From here I grew my interest in beer and decided I wanted to get to know the brewing side of it and so I asked the Brentwood Brewing Company, who at the time were expanding, if they needed an employer. Much to my joy they were over the moon with my request.
So I have now been with the BBC for 7 years and have grown a lot in that period with many ups, downs and steep learning curves. Through my own experiences I have also obtained my General Certificate in Brewing, and attended numerous seminars, most of all I am successfully using my degree (well the science part anyway!) and I have found a life in brewing.
In recent times I spearheaded the International Women’s Brew Day, 8th March 2014, creating the ‘Unite Pale Ale’ that was brewed in 70 breweries across the world. Along with this repertoire, I have created many wonderful and award winning beers with my proudest beer, being a mere 2.5% beer, having been voted champion beer of Cambridge and Belfast.