{"id":3629,"date":"2012-02-22T12:00:39","date_gmt":"2012-02-22T12:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.markwilson.co.uk\/blog\/?p=3629"},"modified":"2012-02-23T15:48:39","modified_gmt":"2012-02-23T15:48:39","slug":"hopping-mad-in-olney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markwilson.co.uk\/blog\/2012\/02\/hopping-mad-in-olney.htm","title":{"rendered":"Hopping Mad in Olney"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Top<\/a>This is a technology blog but, every now and again, I find a way to weave in something different and, if I were a betting man, I’d say that more than a few of my readers like the occasional\u00a0beer…<\/p>\n

I’m a relatively recent convert to the world of real ale. Maybe it’s a maturity thing but I used to drink lager in my teens and early 20s, moving on to Guinness for most of my 30s but, more recently I’ve \u00a0switched to what my Dad would have called proper beer. But, unlike Dad, my preference is less for mass-brewed stuff (although I am partial to a St Austell Tribute<\/a> or few) – instead I like to try a local ale when I’m out and about.<\/p>\n

That’s why the opportunity to visit my local micro-brewery (Hopping Mad, brewing just around the corner in Olney<\/a>) was not to be missed. The evening was organised by the Newport Pagnell and Olney Lions Club<\/a> and, although I have nothing to do with the Lions, I was a guest for a fish and chip supper washed down with free-flowing ale – quite possibly the ultimate \u00a0“p***-up in a brewery”…<\/p>\n

\"David<\/a>Hopping Mad Brewers Limited was established in July 2010 by (entrepreneur and beer enthusiast) Matthew Hargreaves and (experienced business operations manager) David Wright.\u00a0After searching for a suitable location in the\u00a0Northampton, Milton Keynes, and Bedford area, they settled on Olney, which has been a great base for the company – situated close to the boundaries of three counties and, whilst the town itself is small (with a population of around 6000), the surrounding area has a population of close on one million people.<\/p>\n

Initially known as Amazing Ales (a play on words around the hymn Amazing Grace, the most famous of the Olney Hymns<\/a>), the Hopping Mad name seemed a much better fit as it describes how they are “mad passionate” about beers – and the strapline of “brewing just around the bend” is a nice touch too. \u00a0After signing the lease to take on the unit where the brewery is sited on Yardley Road, they prepared the site with additional drainage, decoration, etc. and began to source some equipment.<\/p>\n

\"(Near)<\/a>Hopping Mad is a “15-barrel brewery” – a term derived from the capacity to brew 15 brewers’ barrels of beer at once (more volume than a 5 barrel setup for a similar amount of effort). It’s no co-incidence that there is a lot of equipment on the second-hand market from brewers moving up to a 30 barrel setup and the core of Hopping Mad’s equipment was obtained from Yates Brewery<\/a> in Cumbria (who were moving to a larger installation). Additional fermenting vessels were purchased elsewhere and work started on brewing the beer in mid-2010.<\/p>\n

Matthew and David were determined to “get it right first time” as people will try local produce once but there is no second chance if it’s not up to scratch, so they\u00a0took advice from\u00a0the Society of\u00a0Independent\u00a0Brewers\u00a0(SIBA)<\/a>, local publicans (including Reg Pearson at\u00a0the Robin Hood in Clifton Reynes<\/a>) and others (including Graeme Baxter at Yates’). \u00a0They’ve been well supported by local free houses (unfortunately\u00a0tied houses are generally unable to select the ales they might like, except perhaps for special events) as well as retailing directly to consumers (with 5 and 10 litre draught casks, 72 pint casks and, soon, 500ml bottles) although the emphasis is very much on getting people into pubs to drink beer and direct retail is primarily aimed at brand-building. \u00a0Whilst Hopping Mad beers can be found across the country, the vision is one of a well-known brand within a 40-mile radius of Olney.<\/p>\n

\"Cask<\/a>I won’t try to explain the process of brewing<\/a> (I took a lot of notes, but I’m sure they are incomplete – the British Brewing Association has a description of the brewing process too<\/a>) but each brew produces 15 brewers barrels (60 firkins\/540 gallons\/4320 pints). At present, the brewery produces two or three brews a week but is hoping to increase that to four by the end of 2012, with five as an eventual target.<\/p>\n

A micro-brewery is defined as one that produces less than 500,000 litres a year and this micro-brewery status\u00a0reduces the amount of duty to be paid<\/a>\u00a0by 50%.\u00a0As a bonded warehouse, Hopping Mad pays duty at the point of sale and, with\u00a0five staff, the brewery’s major costs are split are split between\u00a0ingredients\u00a0(including the use of premium Maris Otter barley), labour and duty.<\/p>\n

At the moment, Hopping Mad have five ales in production:
\n\"Pump<\/a><\/p>\n