If you build it, they will come

Des de Moor visits legendary beer shop Beers of Europe at Kings Lynn in Norfolk, England

The United Kingdom’s biggest range of international beers, comprising more than 1,700 lines, can be found at a shop and warehouse in an industrial unit on the unpromisingly named Garage Lane, Setchey, just off the A10 on the rural southern outskirts of King’s Lynn.

Surprising, perhaps, since the old port of Lynn, while pretty and historic, is hardly a buzzing metropolis. But if you offer a service like Derek Clark, his wife Carol and sons Jason and Daniel, the dedicated connoisseurs will come to you.

The area does have its other attractions, with the Royal residence of Sandringham just up the road and the beautiful Norfolk coast and Broads close at hand, so some customers combine beer shopping with a leisure break. But others regularly trek from London, Birmingham or from even further afield, such as the two Californian abbey beer devotees in search of Tongerlo Dubbel.

“They emailed me the day beforehand to check I had it in stock,” says Derek. “Then they flew to Heathrow, hired a car, came straight here, bought a case, spent a day on the coast and flew home. They worked for the airline so they got cheap tickets.” Though born in London, Derek grew up in the area and first worked designing television aerials for the family firm, which happened to have associate offices in Belgium and Bavaria.

While visiting these Derek got a taste for the local beers, particularly the darker examples, and thought they should be available back home. The Clarks first planned a wholesale busi.....

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By Des de Moor

Section : Spotlight Retailer

Page number : 33