Full of Eastern promise (East Anglia)

East Anglia has emerged from the shadow of one large brewer and is producing some of Britain’s most exciting beers. Andrew Burnyeat reports

You could have counted breweries in East Anglia on the fingers of one hand in the 1960s. Dozens of small breweries closed as Watney’s Red Barrel ruled the brewing waves.

But since the 1980s there has been a marked revival, and there are now almost 50 breweries in the region, from the regional colossus which is Greene King to one-pub outfits such as Green Dragon.

Thirty brewers have banded together to form the East Anglian Brewers, a co-operative formed in 2002 to promote beers made from local barley.

In this way, they hope to promote the concept of ‘East Anglian Beer’ and encourage tourism, tasting, ‘ale trails’ and enthusiasm about beer generally.

The co-operative has its own shop, where you can buy beers made by the 30 member breweries.

Funding from the East of England Development Agency made possible this excellent venture, so pats on the back to them. Because of the abundant sunshine and low rainfall, farmers here can grow some of the best malting barley in the world. To some, this explains why so many brewers from the region have won awards.

Recent examples include Cambridgeshire’s Oakham brewery with Jeffrey Hudson Bitter, which won the Champion Beer of Britain award, and Suffolk’s Oulton brewery, which was pipped at the post for the same award in 2003.

The region produces an extremely diverse range of beers, from smooth, dark stouts and porters to refreshing lagers or specialised seasonal beers.

Through the co-operative, brewers work with farmers to make their .....

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By Andrew Burnyeat

Section : Regional Focus

Page number : 33