Restrictions are finally easing in England and pubs, restaurants and bars are finally able to welcome patrons inside their premises. This is welcome news to so many breweries, especially ones that operate their own taproom and rely on visitors from outside their county to bring in some well needed income - including Brighton based UnBarred Brewery.
We caught up with Brett & Jordan from UnBarred Brewery to find out everything from their biggest challenges over the last 12 months to how they feel about the hospitality sector reopening in the next few months.
How is your beer connected to the local area?
A Great example at the moment would be our 2021 NEIPA series where we have been working with local photographers with photos taken of the local area displayed on our cans in monochrome. As part of this we showcase their work through our social media and blogs. It’s been a great experience and we’ve enjoyed the experience of working with local people and their amazing work.
What do you think is unique about your beer and your brewery?
Our continued journey of experimentation and involvement of our customers. Flavour without compromise is key for us and always ensuring the product is as good as it can be.
How do you decide on what new seasonal beers to brew?
The only beer we mindfully brew on a seasonal basis is our Stoutzilla. It awakens at the end of each year and this year Stoutzilla will be having some time in barrels. We like to keep our range diverse and exciting all year round.
Are there any beer styles you are looking at tackling in the future that you haven’t done already?
Barrel Ageing beers. This is something we’ve not done before and at the end of 2021 will be our first barrel aged beer release, so keep your eyes out for that one!
How important do you think collaborations with other breweries are?
For us, it’s important as we love it getting together with other breweries, making new friends and sharing the experience with them. We like to learn and share our journey with other breweries in any way we can.
What efforts have you made you to be environmentally friendly?
We make efforts where we can and will continue to improve on these. A local farm takes all our spent grain, hops and other waste which can be use on the farm. All brew and excess water are recycled.
What have been your biggest challenges over the last 12 months?
Constantly moving with the ever-changing pandemic alike everyone we have navigated through this, and the team has been fantastic! We moved to canning majority of our beer, offering takeaways and use of an online shop to get beers out of our brewery and in the hands of our customers.
What are the biggest problems you run into in producing beer?
For us right now is being able to brew enough beer to meet the demand and space for more tanks to brew beer!
Have you produced a beer that didn’t turn out how you wanted it to - either better or worse?
If the beer is not at the standard of what we have aimed for we would not sell it and it would sadly need to be poured away. At times we have better efficiency than we target for giving us higher AVB which is a good problem to have!
How important do you think branding/package design is for your beers?
Extremely important for us. Every element of the beer from the idea to the first sip we think about and what to be a great experience on the taste and the eyes!
Do you feel that non-alcoholic beers have an important part to play in the craft beer industry?
They of course have their part to play in the drinks industry. The lowest beer we do is around 3% and at the moment we do not have plans to go below this but like with everything we would not every rule it out.
How important do you think reviewing platforms like Untappd are for the beer industry?
It is really important for us to have feedback & engagement with our customers. Untappd is one of many tools we use to get an overall picture of what everyone is saying about our beers.
How do you feel about the easing of lockdown and the full reopening of the hospitality sector by June?
Extremely excited to be able to open the taproom, get more beers back out to the pubs and other our other customers!
About UnBarred Brewery
"NO-RULES BREWING FROM THE HEART OF BRIGHTON. Flavour without compromise, challenging conventions with passion and care. Drink beer, have fun, enjoy in good company.
Our Taproom shares the floor with our Brewery. We have a 16 x tap wall showcasing the best of what we have to offer from brewer made sodas to big imperial IPAs and guest ciders from Ascension Cider."
Website: https://www.unbarredbrewery.com
Twitter: @UnBarredBrewery
Instagram: @UnBarredBrewery
Address: 19-23 Elder Pl, Brighton BN1 4GF