All posts tagged: ale

Greene King to sell famous ale brand to Spanish brewer as fears rise over future of brewery

Greene King to sell famous ale brand to Spanish brewer as fears rise over future of brewery

Published by Daniella Wilson

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Greene King has agreed to sell its popular Old Speckled Hen brand to Damm UK, the owner of Estrella Damm, as the brewing giant shifts its focus away from producing beer for supermarket shelves. The significant deal is expected to lead to the long-term closure of the Westgate Brewery in Bury St Edmunds, although Greene King is concurrently developing a new site within the town. Damm UK, the British arm of Spanish brewer SA Damm, will acquire the entire Old Speckled Hen family of beers, which includes Old Golden Hen, Old Crafty Hen, Old Master Hen, and Low Alcohol Old Speckled Hen. To ensure a seamless transition and maintain consistent flavour, Damm UK will initially continue brewing the beers at the Westgate Brewery. However, production will subsequently be relocated to Damm’s recently constructed brewery in Bedford, ultimately resulting in the …

Mother’s Pride review: Like an inoffensive light ale, slips down more pleasantly than you might expect

Mother’s Pride review: Like an inoffensive light ale, slips down more pleasantly than you might expect

Published by Daniella Wilson

A star rating of 3 out of 5. From Local Hero to The Full Monty and Fisherman’s Friends, the feel-good comedy has always been a staple of British cinemas. Mother’s Pride fits neatly alongside these and others. Set in Somerset, it’s the sort of movie designed to appeal to the real ale crowd, with its story of a small, independent pub going up against a successful chain and brewing its way to success. The film stars Martin Clunes as Mick, the curmudgeonly landlord of The Drovers Arms, an ale house on its last legs. It’s not hard to see why. Mick is still grief-stricken over the loss of his wife. Living with son Jake (James Buckley), a single parent, he’s also cut up about the disappearance of his other son Cal (Jonno Davies), who took off to become a musician and never even returned for his mother’s funeral. But this failed pop star with just one hit to his name, ‘Guiding Light’, now returns, broke and with his tail between his legs. Mick hardly welcomes …

A history of Pancake Day recipes: From Elizabethan ale to a touch of ginger

A history of Pancake Day recipes: From Elizabethan ale to a touch of ginger

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to IndyEat’s free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free With Pancake Day fast approaching, let’s go back in time to look at the history of the humble dish. Recipes from the first published cookbooks show that in England, pancakes were made very thinly – hence the phrase “flat as a pancake” – from lots of wet ingredients that were forbidden during the impending pre-Easter Lenten Fast. Eggs, cream, butter and animal fats are all products from which people were meant to abstain, alongside all other meats. It makes sense, then, that the dish, generally eaten year-round, became associated with Shrovetide – the days before Lent – when cooks wanted to clear out their pantries to avoid temptation in the long fast before Easter. Early pancakes were cooked until crispy and served warm with butter and sprinkled with sugar. It’s common to see a recipe in old cookbooks that used ale, much like the coating …