27-year old head brewer Alex Arkell has been keeping himself busy in the run up to his wedding later this month to long-time sweetheart Alice Braithwaite.

While Alice is kept frantically busy organising the wedding, which is taking place at her family home in Northumberland on 26 January, alongside running her successful Lechlade teashop, The Tea Chest, which opened last year, her groom Alex has been creating the perfect celebratory beer for the occasion at the Swindon brewery, which he’s named (with Alice’s approval) Ball and Chain Ale.

“It’s been a lot of fun creating a beer to mark the most impo

rtant day of our lives,” said Alex.

“I decided to brew a completely original recipe for Ball and Chain, using four different varieties of malt, the main ingredient in beer, to produce a distinct grist (milled malt) as its foundation with Celeia, Willamette and

Columbus hop varieties added at different points through the brewing process to give a rounded, well balanced floral finish to the beer which has a hearty ABV of 5%.”

Alex says that the ingredients of his traditional ale are the same as that of a successful marriage.   “Beer is brewed from malt, hops, water and yeast.

Most malts are made from barley, much of it good English barley and it’s the base of any real ale. Hops are the female flowers used primarily for flavouring and stability. The yeast is used for f

ermentation.   Marry them together and there you have it:  Malt and hops for content, stability and flavouring and yeast to rise to the occasion.

“I’m hoping that Ball and Chain will become fundamental to a truly contented married life for us both.”

Diminutive Dot, who is barely 5’ tall, has presided over the bar at the Adam and Eve, Townsend Street, Cheltenham, for 35 years. She began working at the pub in 1977, the year of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, taking over as licensee a year later.  1977 was the also the year that Red Rum won his record third Grand National, Star Wars was released at the Cinema … and Dot married husband Brian.

The Adam and Eve is the local for many postal workers at the main Cheltenham sorting office, just around the corner and this Friday evening (14^th December) many of them will be bringing a large celebration cake to the pub to wishing Dot and Brian a First Class retirement.

Dot was born at Beckford, Gloucestershire in 1932 and took over her first pub, The White Lion, in Winchcombe in 1958. “Back then it was a proper pub,” she says. “Now it’s a bit posh.”

A great grandmother, she has four children, two sons and a daughter live in Gloucestershire and another daughter lives in Cyprus, but she hasn’t had time for a holiday for 20 years.

James Arkell at pub owners Arkell’s Brewery, which bought the pub off Whitbread in 1991, presented her with a leaving gift and a bunch of flowers almost bigger than she is.   He said: “When we bought the pub we didn’t realise that the jewel in its crown was Dot.   Ever since she took over she’s been wonderful. The rest of the world has gone around and back but life hasn’t changed at The Adam and Eve. Dot has been a wonderful landlady and Arkell’s has been truly lucky to have her.”

When asked what her best memories of her life at the pub have been, Dot really can’t pick out one above the other. “It’s been a very happy pub,” she said. “I really can’t think of a time when it hasn’t been.”

Dot isn’t planning on sitting down when she finally pulls her last pint. “I’d like to do some charity work,” she said.

Each barrel, made out of stainless steel, costs £70, holds 72 pints of beer and has ‘Arkell’s Brewery’ embossed around the collar.

Head Brewer, Alex Arkell, who took over brewing responsibilities just last month, is delighted.

“Traditionally, of course, beer barrels were made out of wood and bound by metal hoops. They were made by a Cooper and the cooper’s fire is still in existence here at the brewery.

“However, much as I appreciate tradition, steel barrels are much easier to clean, better for maintaining quality and consistency of the beer and we’ve been using metal (aluminimum) barrels probably since the 1960s.  Now it’s time for some new ones to keep Arkell’s Ales arriving at our pubs in tip top condition.”

Brewery chairman, James Arkell, said: “These new purchases fit our strategy of continual investment in pubs and small town hotels which have a thriving community around them.”

The Fox and Hounds is a lovely country pub that first opened around 1840. No longer in the country, as Swindon’s western expansion began surrounding the village some 30 years’ ago, The Fox and Hounds retains a rural feel and is well-supported by the local community.

The King’s Arms is Arkell’s first acquisition in the historic town of Malmesbury. With twelve letting rooms, two bars, a restaurant and a function room for up to 120 people, this pretty hotel offers lovely overnight accommodation and a warm welcome.

According to James: “The licensed industry changes all the time, and breweries and pub companies must too.  We’ve always known this and adapt our estate of pubs accordingly, that’s why we’ve been in business for over 160 years, just like the majority of fellow family brewers across the country who understand the licensed trade better than anyone.   People want more from pubs than just a great pint of beer and someone to chat to – those are essential.   Good food is important for every licensed premises and a small country town hotel should be friendly and cosy with room for a good party.”

Over the last six years, Arkell’s has made a number of significant investments in pubs and hotels across the region.   In 2006 it bought The Bear Hotel in the centre of Wantage, significantly upgrading the bars and accommodation to make The Bear into a thriving town centre hotel.

In 2007 the brewery bought the 16^th century 26-bedroom Lansdowne Strand Hotel in Calne, and the following year it purchased the iconic Riverside Inn at Lechlade, next to the most up-stream marina on the Thames and where, earlier this year, David Walliams began his incredible Thames charity swim.

In 2009 the brewery turned its attention back to pubs and bought The Mason’s Arms at Meysey Hampton. Earlier this year it bought a closed Oxford pub reopening it as The Rickety Press. The pub, located at Jericho, is once again thriving.

Alongside new investment, the brewery continually invests in its estate of pubs, with this year investing a six-figure sum in The Bull Hotel, Fairford, which the brewery has owned since 1973.

Pint-sized History of Arkell’s Brewery                 

At 168 years old, Arkell’s Brewery is one of just 28 family breweries left in the UK. The Brewery was established as an offshoot to the family farm when Isambard Kingdom Brunel was building his locomotive and carriage works for the Great Western Railway.  Beer from Arkell’s helped quench the thirst of workers in the hot, humid environment of the railway works.   Whilst Swindon’s historic railway works closed in the 1980s, Arkell’s is still going strong, fulfilling the demands of today’s workers.

Three generations of Arkell’s family work at the brewery every day, alongside generations of local families, brewing real ale and overseeing over 100 pubs the brewery owns across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hampshire.  Arkell’s continuously invests in its pubs and the brewery, recently installing bottling equipment, fermenters, conditioning equipment and a kegging unit to brew Pilsner lager.  Full-bodied real ales include 2Bs, 3Bs, Kingsdown and Bees Organic Ale.   Specials include Summer Ale, Noel Ale and Moonlight. Moonlight was brewed in secret in 2004 commemorating Chairman Peter Arkell’s 80^th birthday and his RAF 1943 pilot missions flying low level sorties collecting agents in occupied France under full moon, later in Burma. Peter Arkell passed away in 2010.

However, it was a welcome introduction to village life for the couple who have two pre-school children.   “The first thing we unpacked was packets of bacon – almost before the children’s suitcases,” said Sarah.

Mark and Sarah are experienced publicans – they even met in pub and both sets of parents were publicans themselves. Most recently Mark and Sarah ran The White Hart at Broadoak in the Forest of Dean but decided to bring in a manager to run it after deciding to find a village pub where they can settle down and bring up their family.

“The church breakfast is a regular event, apparently, and it a great way to meet our new neighbours,” said Sarah. “The pub also hosts a Friday toddler group in the pub skittle alley so I can’t wait to meet some of the local mums and dads there too.”

The couple spent months looking for their perfect pub, but fell in love with The Rose & Crown after contacting Arkell’s who said that the previous tenants were moving to New Zealand.

“It’s got a lovely feel to it, a big pub garden and a little private one for our family too – we love it, even if we’ve moved in during the depths of winter,” added Mark.

George Arkell, director at Arkell’s Brewery, is delighted that such experienced landlords have taken on the pub.   “It’s great for the brewery and for the villagers and pub regulars,” he said. “Mark and Sarah understand the industry inside out and know how to deliver a really good night out.”

Mark is well aware that people have to have a good reason to come out in the current economic climate: “If you want people to come in, you have to give them a reason to do so.   We pay a lot of attention to the quality and value of our food, so we’ll have plenty of regular menu choices – but a specials board too, which will really mean special.”

In the meantime, the family are starting to find their way around the area.   “Malmesbury is lovely, and less than five minutes away, so we’ve enrolled the children in a nursery there twice a week.  Hopefully it won’t be long before we’ve built up a new network of friends,” added Sarah.

And this week the brewery is celebrating their award with three more landlords: Dave Howells at The Boundary House and Pete and Bev Neal at The Moonrakers, both in Swindon and Terry Sullivan at The Punchbowl, Woodstock.

Backed by 45 of the country’s leading brewers and pub companies, Cask Marque accreditation is only awarded to licensees whose ale passes a series of rigorous independent beer quality audits.

Since its foundation in 1997, Cask Marque has inspected around 135,000 pints of beer and accredited over 6,000 of the country’s 36,500 pubs estimated to serve one or more cask conditioned ales.

Cask Marque director, Paul Nunny, said: “Arkell’s should feel justifiably proud of this excellent achievement, which not only recognises the commitment the brewery has made to serving the perfect pint but also acts as an independent guarantee of quality for customers.

“All too often publicans don’t appreciate the care and attention cask beers require and then run the risk of losing custom by serving pints that are below par.”

Alex Arkell, Brewer at Wiltshire family brewery, Arkell’s, said: “I started my working life at the sharp end: Running a pub where I was behind the bar every day.   It was there I learned the importance of having delicious-tasting, consistent beer – because if we didn’t deliver the perfect pint, we’d be on the receiving end of direct criticism – especially me as the son, grand-son and great-grand-son of brewers!

“Good beer starts in the brewery, and finishes as it’s pulled through the lines and into a beer glass.   At the brewery it’s our responsibility to ensure our beer leaves the brewery in absolutely top condition.  Then the responsibility is passed to our landlords who look after the beer properly from barrel to glass. When I began working in the brewery last year I felt that the best sign of beer quality in a pub was the Cask Marque sign which appears outside pubs guaranteeing that inside you will get a great pint of cask ale.”

Arkell’s is aiming for all its landlords to be Cask Marque accredited.

The Arkell’s-owned pub has brought in new chef Kai Taylor, who moved to the country pub from his previous role as Executive Chef at the Copthorne Millennium Group of hotels.

The 37-year old chef has designed and opened restaurants in Italy, Japan and even Cardiff, Wales, and was operations manager for the Lava Lounge in Swindon, has opted out of the rat race to concentrate on building up the reputation of The White Horse at Woolstone alongside its landlord Keith Adams.

“It might seem surprising to move away from a big role in a large group to being my own boss in a village pub kitchen, but here I can really develop good food that people not only want to eat, but surprises them as well,” he said.

Kai isn’t joking when he says he wants to surprise customers.   His scampi and chips may not be quite what people expect from their local take-away or pub.   It’s whole fried scampi still in its shell, with home-prepared chunky chips.

Other choices off the menu are not so wacky – although they are often presented on rather unusual dishes.   “I don’t mind visiting Savernake Forest and picking up beautiful pieces of wood to fashion into plates,” he says.   “It does make eating out a bit more exciting.”

Landlord Keith Adams says that since he took over The White Horse last year, business has picked up, but he is now working to attract customers from Swindon.   “The White Horse at Woolstone is much closer than people in Swindon often think,” he says.   “We’re just ten minutes from The Oxford Road roundabout and ½ mile from the famous White Horse Hill.

“I hope that local people will again consider their rural village pub for an evening out.   If they agree to drive here, it’s up to us to give them a good night out – and I can guarantee that Kai’s menus will do just that.”

Investment in The Lord Lyon goes against the trend many pubs and pub-owners are following to reduce spending on maintenance and improvements in order to cut costs.

However, the Wiltshire Brewery feels this is a shortsighted attitude.   Director George Arkell, said: “Despite a tough economy, especially for the licensed trade, The Lord Lyon is trading very well so it made sense to invest in the pub and totally refurbishing the old letting rooms back into use by installing new plumbing and heating, and redecorating them throughout.   It’s a sound investment in this thriving pub and provides another revenue stream for the landlord, Mark Genders.”

The brewery has worked closely with Mark on the project, who has also invested his own money.

Earlier this year West Berks CAMRA voted the Lord Lyon its Community Pub of the Year and Mark received a second Certificate of Excellence from Cask Marque for the quality of his real ale.

“The Lord Lyon is a great pub in a village that supports us and wants the pub to succeed,” said Mark, who took over behind the bar less than two years’ ago and has been instrumental in its current success.   “Arkell’s rolling programme of redecoration and refurbishment of the pub has meant that it’s in very good shape inside and out.”

The pub’s new letting rooms are now open.

(photograph courtesy of Chris King, www.chriskingphotography.com)

Arkell’s Kingsdown and Moonlight both achieved gold awards at this year’s Taste of the West awards, with Bee’s Organic achieving silver.

Brewery director, George Arkell, is delighted with the result.  “The well-established and highly respected Taste of the West Awards are attracting record numbers of entries so we are particularly thrilled at having achieved such a great result this year,” he said.

The judges loved the presentation of the three ales submitted, all the bottles and packaging scored full marks.

Of Arkell’s Kingsdown, the judges added: “The ale has a fantastic aroma that almost scored full marks. A good appearance with a sweet, malty finish to the taste. Overall a great taste of

a classic ale, well worthy of a gold award.”

Arkell’s Moonlight also came in for particular praise: “The ale has a lovely aroma with good balance. A good appearance with a mostly malt finish to the taste. Overall a fantastic taste.”

Arkell’s Bee’s Organic which has, in previous years, scored gold at these awards, proved it’s all down to individual taste by achieving a silver this year. The judges said: “The ale has a lovely, malty aroma with a slight hint of honey; very good in appearance and a nice finish to the taste, a very smooth aftertaste with notes of citrus and honey. The overall taste was very good, though the honey taste could perhaps be enhanced a little more.”

George Arkell added: “We put heart and soul into brewing our beers and it is wonderful that professional beer tasters love what we produce.”

Wroughton bar goes to Swindon Town

If they look carefully, former customers of the Three Tuns at Wroughton, who are NOT fans of Swindon Town Football Club, might recognise the bar at the football club’s brand new Away bar.

For the brewery has donated the old bar from The Three Tuns, which sadly closed earlier this year, to furnish the football club’s Bar 71, which opened a few week’s ago for Away fans.

Brewery director Nick Arkell, said: “It seemed a big waste to have such a lovely bar not being used, so as we are sponsors of the football club we asked if it might be useful.”

Mark Issac Operations manager, jumped at the chance.   “We were planning a new bar for Away fans and this was the ideal contribution from Arkell’s.”

Swindon Town Football Club’s new Away Bar is called Bar 71 as there are 72 clubs in the football league and this is open to every one of them except, of course, town fans who have their own bar.

Since opening, Bar 71 is proving hugely successful, according to Mark.  “More than 150 people enjoyed themselves here after the match, and it’s also available to hire,” he added.

Nick added: “It’s always sad when a pub has to close, and luckily for Arkell’s this doesn’t happen very often, but it’s good to see some of the furniture and fittings being put to good use elsewhere.”