About The Brewery
Pitstop Brewery has temporarily ceased production while I establish a new plant. On 21 October 2010 I am taking over the tenancy of the Shoulder of Mutton pub in Wallingford Street, Wantage. My intention is to establish a new brewery on the premises.
The Shoulder of Mutton is a historic and much-loved Wantage institution, which has often featured in Camra's Good Beer Guide in the past. Along with the Royal Oak, it has flown the flag for real ale in the town for many years. This former Morland's House is now owned by Admiral Taverns, but I shall be running it free of tie, and featuring quality local ales - as well as Pitstop's own brews once the brewery is up and running again. See The Shoulder of Mutton's own website, which I shall be updating shortly. www.themutton.co.uk
The brewery first opened in November 2008 with a one-barrel experimental plant. The intention was to supply beer to Bellinger's shop, which I also managed at the time and where I stocked around 350 different ales from around the world. A firkin of the first brew, a 5% bitter called Starter's Orders (later to become Pole Position), was accepted by the multi-award-winning Royal Oak in Wantage and was immediately successful. Paul Hexter, the landlord of the Royal Oak, bought the remaining three firkins and they all soon sold out.
The next brew was a 7% Imperial-style black Russian stout called Sump - normally regarded as a specialist beer, so quite a challenge for a fledgling brewery. It occupied top position on Paul's board for some considerable time as the strongest beer in the house, but had a loyal cadre of drinkers who often sang its praises. Shortly afterwards, it won Beer of the Festival at the Wantage Beer Festival.
Then followed a period of intense activity, producing a range of beers for every taste. Inevitably there were a few of these beers that weren't quite so popular, but from this diverse selection emerged a range of beers that became the core of the brewery's production.
In April 2009 the decision was taken to expand the brewery to a five-barrel plant. A used plant was found and purchased, but was subsequently found to have a number of serious faults that prevented us producing beer on it for five months while we adapted and repaired the plant we had bought. The suppliers were less than helpful in this and are definitely not on our Christmas card list!
In September 2009 the first successful brew came from our new plant and we produced three five-barrel brews a week. Although the brewery is not currently brewing, we have kept some beers back for the Wantage Beer Festival, which is being held at the Comrade's Club, Newbury Street, Wantage. See for full details - www.whitehorsecamra.org.uk/beerfestival.htm
I would like to thank my many loyal supporters for their help and encouragement during the past three years, and look forward to supplying them again with craft beers of distinctive flavour. Watch this space for our reappearance from the pits!
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