• Swindon & Wiltshire News
• Tuesday February 7 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Arkell’s Brewery celebrates 180th anniversary with new beer and a VIP visit

Swindon’s oldest business, Arkell’s Brewery, has celebrated its 180th anniversary with the launch of a new beer – and a visit from the High Sheriff of Wiltshire.

The family brewery is one of the UK’s last remaining fully operational Victorian tower steam breweries.

The High Sheriff, Fiona Shelburne, The Marchioness of Lansdowne, visited the old brewhouse to help the family firm brew a brand new celebratory beer.

Alex Arkell, head brewer and sixth-generation of the Arkell family, took the High Sheriff on a tour of the town’s oldest surviving business and gave an overview of the traditional brewing methods put in place by his ancestors that are still used to this day.

The High Sheriff helped mash in; an important early step in the brewing process, setting underway the new celebratory brew – a 3.4 per cent session beer called Tradition.

Alex said: “We put together a recipe blending some old and new ideas. The beer is an easy-drinking deep red session beer with a warming fruit biscuity base, which comes from using rye which was often used in our old brew books.

“We’ve then rounded this off with a hop aroma of mango and peach which I don’t think you’d have seen much of 180 years ago – a perfect blend of old and new!”

The beer is available on cask in participating Arkell’s venues.

Following the brewhouse tour the High Sheriff of Wiltshire unveiled a commemorative plaque.

Managing director, George Arkell, said: “It is an honour to have this visit from the High Sheriff and share with her the great heritage of our family brewery.

“We are extremely proud of both our family history and our traditional methods of brewing. Onto the next 180 years.“

Image: The High Sheriff of Wiltshire and Alex Arkell. Picture by Richard Wintle

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