Northamptonshire Breweries

Potbelly-Brewery

Kettering

The Potbelly Brewery is a relatively new micro brewery situated in Kettering. Using 10 Barrel plant, brewing commenced in February 2005. The brewery was set up by Toni Hooper and Glenn Morris with wanted to produce a quality range of real ales that would appeal to both established drinkers and those new to the real ale scene. The company enjoyed immediate success with two of their beers, notably with Beijing Black which won a Gold Award for Best Mild at the SIBA Midlands Beer Competition 2005. Sunny Daze picked up a Gold Award in the 'New Brewery' category at the Peterborough Beer Festival 2005. In December 2005 Sawyers of Kettering became the official Brewery Tap of Potbelly Brewery.
� Copyright. All images from Potbelly Brewery and reproduced with kind permission.

Beijing Black 4.4% A strong dark mild, mild but not meek!! This beer won a Gold Award for best Mild at SIBA Midlands Beer Competition 2005 and was awarded Gold as Champion Mild and Supreme Champion in the SIBA National Beer Competion 2006. Beijing Black was voted 'Beer of Festival' at the popular Leicester Beer Festival 2006. It was also nominated as 'Mild of Festival' at Leeds in the same year.

Pigs Do Fly 4.4% Potbelly Brewery were approached by the Leicester CAMRA branch to brew a Festival Ale to feature in its Leicester Beer Festival in March 2006. The extra work load was lightened by having a few of the branch members helping out on the brewday. Pigs Do Fly also marked the first anniversary of the brewery�s opening. As for the beer - it is a single hopped brew using Styrian Goldings hops.

Hopcraft-and-Norris Ltd. - Brackley

Brackley

A large brewery concern based in Brackley was Hopcraft and Norris Ltd. This brewery traded first as Hopcraft but later as Norris which is a bit confusing. Whatever, the brewery was founded by Alfred Hopcraft in 1842. Registered in July 1895 as Hopcraft and Norris Limited Brewers and Spirit Merchants, the company had a total of 119 tied houses. In July 1946 the Hopcraft and Norris merged with Chesham Brewery Ltd to form Chesham and Brackley Breweries Ltd. Although brewing still took place at both Brackley and Chesham, this business lasted for only 11 years before it was taken over by Taylor, Walker & Co.Ltd. The Brackley Brewery was closed in 1959 and three years later the tied estate was transferred to Benskin's Watford Brewery Ltd. Meanwhile, in what was a crazy period of takeovers and mergers, Taylor, Walker & Co.Ltd. were swallowed up by Ind Coope.
� Copyright. All images from Digital Photographic Images and reproduced with kind permission.

c.1934

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