A new ale, Dunsfold Best, has won a coveted Society of Independent Brewers’ (SIBA) Gold Award, just days after its creation at local microbrewery the Crafty Brewing Company.
Brewer Luke Herman says that the secret of the success of the new ale is simple – he consulted his local customers. “Dunsfold Best was created in a response to our customers who desired a mild and balanced ale”, he explains. “We produced the first brew in a single cask and held an event at the Jolly Farmer in Bramley. We invited people to come and sample the beer and provide feedback for us to help with future improvements.
“We made some changes following this feedback and 10 casks were produced and sent to the equivalent number of pubs. The beer in these 10 casks, however, failed to clear due to a traditional ale yeast being used and so were recalled. In the next brew we simply exchanged the traditional yeast with one used in the brewery on a daily basis. Twenty casks were produced in this brew, one of which went to the SIBA South East Regional Beer Competition and was awarded with Gold (and the other nineteen were snapped up by our regular stockists!)”.
‘I must be doing something right’
two years ago said: “Winning the award from SIBA means an awful lot to me. I have been brewing for several years but the move from home-brewing to commercial brewing was much more challenging than I had expected. However, winning the award has given me the confidence that I must be doing something right!”
The Crafty Brewing Company (CBC) began with Luke Herman and his passion for brewing in April 2014. By 2016 the brewery’s capacity had grown from a weekly 400 litres to 4,000 litres. The beer is brewed on a farm in Loxhill, near Dunsfold in Surrey, and the spent grain is recycled as feed for the resident pigs. CBC respects the long history of brewing, using traditional brewing
practices – as well as employing cutting-edge technology to add a new, innovative twist in the tale of British brewing. CBC is affiliated with market leading bodies such as Surrey Hills, CAMRA and SIBA.
You can find CBC beers at local pubs listed here or contact the company directly.
The Sun, Dunsfold; Keystone, Guildford; Jolly Farmer, Bramley; Red Bar, Dorking; Fox Inn, Worplesdon; Kings Head, Billingshurst; The Crown, Chiddingfold; Sir Roger Tichborne, Alfold; March Hare, Guildford; Refectory, Godalming; Gomshall Mill, Gomshall; Anchor, Lower Froyle; Three Horseshoes, Thursley; Dog & Pheasant, Brook; Foresters, Church Crookham; Angel, Petworth;
Pheasant, Buckland.
Luke Herman
Director
Tel: 01483 276 300 M: 07702 305 595
www.craftybrewing.co.uk
The Crafty Brewing Company Ltd. Thatched House Farm,
Dunsfold Road, Loxhill, Godalming, Surrey GU8 4BW
