Woodforde's
Who are they? Like the rest of the city, the Norfolk brewer has been celebrating Norwich City's promotion to the Premiership last Thursday. But Woodforde's went one step further by releasing a special ale to mark the occasion. Called simply City, the "canary yellow" beer is brewed at 4.33% abv reflecting the four-three-three formation of Nigel Worthington's victorious side. The largest brewer in Norfolk is clearly in touch with the zeitgeist. Woodforde's was established in 1981 as part of the new wave of cask-ale brewers determined to offer an alternative to lager. Ray Ashworth and David Crease, both members of the Norwich Homebrewers' Society, were the founders. Its original setting, on an industrial site in Drayton, had its drawbacks, with temperature fluctuations and a mains water supply of "varying quality". So in 1983 it moved to a stable block behind the Spread Eagle pub at Erpingham near Aylsham. As demand increased, Woodforde's relocated again to a disused farm building in Woodbastwick, near Norwich (1989). It was around this time that Camra awards began arriving. Most notably, it won Champion Beer of Britain for Norfolk Nog (4.6% abv) in 1992/1993 and its flagship Wherry Bitter in 1996/1997 one of only three brewers to win the award more than once. In 1999, Ray Ashworth sold the brewery to local businessman Dennis Nudd and former Woodforde's director Mike Betts. Since then, the brewery site has expanded, with six new fermentors. Last year the brewery produced nearly 8,000 barrels. Betts attributes their success to the high-quality low-nitrate water from the current site, as well as the finest East Anglian malted barley and whole hops used in brewing. Employees: 24 full time Main brands: Wherry Bitter is the biggest seller. Don't mention: Fire. Disaster struck barely a month after Woodforde's relocated to the Spread Eagle when a blaze gutted the site. But supply continued thanks to Peter Mauldon, another independent brewer, who took over temporary production in nearby Sudbury, Suffolk. To celebrate the return to full production just three months later, Woodforde's released a special ale appropriately called Phoenix XXX (4.7% abv). Plans for the future: The next stage is to become an established brewer by selling its beers to a wider audience, past its Norfolk heartland. It plans to be at this year's Great British Beer Festival.
