WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!
Warminster Malt has, once again, just scooped the ultimate British brewing accolade by being the malt of choice for this year’s Supreme Champion Beer of Britain, as judged at the Great British Beer Festival at Olympia on Tuesday 6th August. Surrey Hills Brewery, of Dorking, a long-standing customer of Warminster Maltings, took the prize with it’s Best Bitter “Shere Drop”. This beer is described as “a clear golden ale with an outstanding taste of toasted grains, and fairly restrained hop. Lightly bitter.”
Ross Hunter of Surrey Hills Brewery with his trophy at Olympia (right)
But this result was better still, and something of a double celebration, because the barley variety that produced this particular malt is the world famous variety Maris Otter, owned and managed by Robin Appel Ltd, sister company of Warminster Maltings Ltd.
This is not the first time Warminster Maltings has triumphed at the Great British Beer Festival, they have been the malt of choice for the Supreme Champion Beer of Britain twice before, in 2004 when the Hampshire based Triple FFF Brewery won with their beer “Alton’s Pride”, also made from malt made with Maris Otter barley, and again in 2011, when the Mighty Oak Brewery, from Maldon in Essex, won with a beer named “Oscar Wilde”.
We are all absolutely delighted to have pulled off ‘the double’ once again. It all serves to underline the outstanding quality of the malt still produced in Warminster, in Britain’s oldest working Maltings. The plan now is to get some “Shere Drop” home, to be served at The Organ Inn, Warminster, at their Beer Festival on the 6th and 7th September, when the townspeople can all taste and toast the success of the all-conquering Warminster Malt!
(P.S. ‘Maltings Gold’ will also be at the Organ Inn beer festival).
…AND WE LOOK LIKE THE CHAMPIONS!
I am now talking about the 2019/20 Warminster Town Football Team, sponsored by the Maltings (‘Maltings Gold’) whose new football strip is a step away from the ‘traditional’ into something much more contemporary, even worthy of the Premier League.
WTFC’s new strip
Our ‘Maltings Gold’ logo has been enlarged, and is now also emblazoned on the “away kit” – that is worn when the team have to divest themselves of the Red and Black, in favour of their opponents similar strip – and the Reserve Team shirts.
The first team has also recruited some new players who have chosen to step down from higher up the football league, in order to come and play for Warminster Town. This is all very exciting, and highlights a determination by the manager, his assistants, and the team, to go for an outright win of the league this year. In fact commentators have already tipped Warminster Town as the favourites to win the “Tool Station” Western League.
And I must not finish without complimenting the club on the football pitch itself – what a superb piece of grass that is! It’s thick, lush, and totally weed free, and mown north to south, as well as east to west, it looks every bit as good as Wembley turf.
I have to say, I am so impressed by everything I see at Weymouth Street, we have decided to ‘up our game’ as well. We have installed x 2 new ‘Maltings Gold’ hoardings, on the far side of the pitch, opposite the clubhouse, and brought one of the former hoardings across to the entrance. So there is even less doubt about it, the football club, the Maltings, this new season, we are all quite definitely going for Gold!
NO TEAS IN THE GARDEN
For the second time this summer, in August, the rain got in the way again, and I am afraid, come rain or shine, there will be no tea party in September either. Pat Whitty who makes all the scones and cakes herself, will be just out of hospital following a serious knee operation, and I will also be away (raising money for Prostate Cancer). So ‘Teas in the Garden’ this year has not enjoyed the outcome we had hoped for.
However, as I write, the “Tea Team”, that is Pat, Judy, Jerry (the foreman), and me, are all up for continuing again next year. So fingers crossed, and with a bit more climate change, the weather will be more on our side next summer.