Wye Valley set for more #Courtlaughing

The comedy festival is back at The Courtyard 2013 and promises to be bigger, better, with a lot more laughs! The Courtyard ran its first #Courtlaughing comedy festival in May 2012 and saw lots of big names in the comedy industry such as Jon Richardson, John Challis and Andy Hamilton take to the stage.

The Courtyard have now announced the festival is to run for its second year, over the first weekend of June ( 7 – 9), and Wye Valley Brewery have come on board again as the Main sponsor for this summer’s festivities. 

Lizzie Davidson, Marketing Executive at Wye Valley Brewery, said: “#CourtLaughing was a great success in 2012 and Wye Valley Brewery are proud to be sponsoring this fantastic comedy festival again in 2013. To celebrate this year’s festival, we will be launching a special beer called Dorothy Goodbody’s Barrel of Laughs, which will be on sale in Wye Valley Brewery stocked pubs in May.”

This year’s acts are still to be named, but if you would like to receive news of the Comedy Festival acts then visit www.courtlaughing.co.uk, or alternatively email your details to boxoffice@courtyard.org.uk. Keep the weekend free, as this year’s comedy festival looks set to be bigger and better than 2012.

Dorothy's Heroes

The legendary daughter of a local hop grower, Dorothy Goodbody certainly has her head screwed on, and she only puts her name to the purest ales. You may well already be familiar with her ever-popular Wholesome Stout, Country Ale and Golden Ale.

For 2013, Dorothy has put her name to 12 special ales that will each be available for just one month during the year. This rich and varied range of Dorothy's Heroes includes some fantastic new beers as well as a number of old favourites.

For more information about these delicious ales and to see which pubs might be stocking them during 2013 visit www.dorothygoodbody.co.uk

 

 

Wye Valley beers feature in eBook Thriller!

ELICIA, the debut novel by Ian Hudson, has the heroine and hero drinking HPA and Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout in the fictional Wye’s Brewery Bar. And later in the story Wye Valley Bitter is being enjoyed in the brewery’s very real Barrels pub in Hereford.

Elicia is a thriller about reportage photographer Elicia who encounters solitary writer Aiden Dean. Photographing him Elicia includes his portrait in her first solo exhibition. Meeting again at the gallery there develops an intense love affair between photographer and subject; both are searching for a future where they can love as equals. But what has her portrait revealed?

Detective Sergeant Antony Mylen is still investigating his one unsolved crime; the apparent suicide of graphic designer Lizzie, a young woman he believes had no reason to end her life, who was found a year ago with cut wrists in her bloodied bath water. Aiden, a man close to the dead woman, is the detective’s lead murder suspect. Mylen believes the portrait of the writer and the photographer are a catalyst to prove his suspect’s guilt. As more people from both Aiden’s and Elicia’s past step into the light, how close are these two people willing to get to each other and the truth? 

Ian is a former barman at the Barrels and filmmaker. ‘What a character drinks is vital in helping the reader create the profile of that person in their imagination. Like the characters the Wye Valley Brewery are artisans and this is important to the concept and themes of the novel. The initial references to the beer are done with humour, Elicia, on their first date, has bought the all-in-black writer Aiden a pint of Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout, and she the blonde haired spirited young woman is drinking HPA. Both use the drinks as an anchor as they get to know each other. The use of cask-conditioned beer is important to create the sense of the real world I know.’

‘I set out to write a taut psychological thriller, one laced with sarcastic and dark, playful humour, a story that leads each character, and the reader, to question what they know to be truth and what is illusion in love and death. Inspiration for writing the book comes from living and breathing the world of indie music and films and being part of the community in a real pub serving real beer. Though I maybe should add it is a work of fiction. I Promise.’

Elicia is available for Kindle and via the Kindle App at
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ELICIA-ebook/dp/B00A25VFKC

CAMRA’s Save Your Pint Mass Lobby

CAMRA’s Save Your Pint Mass Lobby is nearly upon us. Over 1,000 CAMRA members, publicans and brewers have registered to join together on Wednesday 12th December for CAMRA’s first mass lobby.

The 100,000 signatures on the e-petition triggered a three hour debate in Parliament. The mass lobby is now more important than ever to ensure Government stick to their commitments and review the damaging tax regime on Britain’s pubs and national drink.

For more information visit www.saveyourpintlobby.org.uk

#saveyourpint

Barrels crowned Pub of the Year

We are delighted to announce that The Barrels in Hereford has been crowned Herefordshire CAMRA 2012 Pub of the Year.

The Barrels is Wye Valley Brewery's flagship pub, it was the brewery's home for many years and is best described as a down to earth drinking establishment. It attracts an eclectic clientele who come for the lively, friendly atmosphere and, of course, the full range of Wye Valley Brewery's beer.

This is the 7th time The Barrels has been awarded Herefordshire CAMRA Pub of the Year.

Age UK Herefordshire and Worcestershire

Wye Valley Brewery are pleased to present a cheque for £1,280 to our local branch of Age UK, raised through sales of our Pint Bearer monthly special earlier this year. The money raised will be put to good use throughout Herefordshire.

Age UK does great work promoting the wellbeing of older people and aims to help make later-life a fulfilling and enjoyable experience. It comes at a particularly good time of year for the charity as elderly people are often in greater need for care and support during the cold winter months. 

Message in a bottle!

Our head brewer Jimmy Swan is pictured below putting our 'message in a bottle' in the foundations of our new brewhouse! The message is a fantastic poem about the brewery by our poet laureate Steve Harris...

We’d like to send a message full of greetings and good cheer
Assuming in the future that mankind’s still drinking beer
You see, we’re on a mission that can’t afford to fail
A never ending battle to make the finest ale
Despite the huge taxation and duty on our booze
The very place you found this note is rather splendid news
To you it’s simply history, a place to dig and delve
But this, our brand new brew house, began in twenty-twelve
Here, Wye Valley Brewery, continued to expand
As Herefordshire’s finest ales are always in demand
The local hops and choice of taste all add to its appeal
The motto of our brewing team is ‘always keep it real’
As our campaign for real ale continues at a pace
We wonder if our future selves have carried on in space
Whilst dreaming that you’ve made it and now travel to the stars
Despite the lack of atmosphere, we hope you still have bars
On the subject of celestial, well heavenly at least
We have a special expert on barley, hops and yeast
Our Dorothy Goodbody is the drinkers favourite Miss
And from your very distant past, she sends you all a kiss.

P.S if you are reading this in just a few years time
Please ignore this message and the rather hopeful rhyme...