Black Sheep – Masham, North Yorkshire
In the 1980s one member of the historic Theakston Brewery family branched out on his own. Paul Theakston set up the appropriately named Black Sheep brewery, taking over premises once home to the Lightfoot brewery.
Paul soon recognised the possibilities of developing the site into a tourist attraction. “Shepherded” tours of the brewery include a chance to witness the famous Yorkshire Square fermentation system at work and watch the yeast bubbling up from the lively brew.
All this is thirsty work, which you can quench in the Bistro & Baa…r. Sample some of the company’s fine traditional ales or the new range of beers produced on the little five-barrel brewery installed a few years ago – Choc-orange Oat Stout, perhaps. Food includes a Black Sheep Yorkshire rarebit, and the homemade steak and Riggwelter ale pie.
Robinsons – Stockport, Greater Manchester
The Robinson family has been brewing beer and running pubs since 1838. In 2013, to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the opening of its brewery in the centre of Stockport, a new visitor centre was added.
Tours of the tower brewery offer the opportunity to learn all about the brewing process and the secret of Robinsons’ successful ales. Interactive exhibits showcase original and new equipment – reflecting the huge investment in a state-of-the-art brewhouse – and there’s also the chance to meet the company’s shire horses.
You could also pop into the on-site bar and restaurant – some of the dishes featuring Robinsons’ beers. The Old Tom beefburger includes chutney and a cheese sauce made with the famous Old Tom strong ale, while the haddock is cooked in batter using the premium ale Trooper – the hugely successful beer created in collaboration with Bruce Dickinson, lead singer with heavy rock band Iron Maiden.
Fuller’s – Chiswick, London
The Griffin Brewery – home to Fuller’s – is a London landmark. Travellers on the busy A4 race past it every day on their way through Chiswick into the city. Those that have the time to stop never regret it, as Fuller’s has a reputation for high-quality beers that consistently win awards. The best known are the classic best bitter London Pride and the much emulated ESB.
You can sample these and other offerings in the Mawson Arms, adjoining the brewery, which is also – somewhat unusually – known as the Fox and Hounds. Here you can also enjoy dishes such as Black Cab stout and cheddar rarebit, or fish cooked in Frontier lager batter.
The brewery tour takes in both old and new, from the ancient brick-clad copper to its shiny modern equivalent. In the Hock Cellar, a lovingly restored vault, you can taste even more of the beers and take a stroll through the company’s fascinating past, courtesy of a display of facts, feats and memorabilia.
Orkney Brewery – Quoyloo, Orkney
A Victorian schoolhouse in Orkney is offering a different kind of lesson today. In 2012, it was converted into a visitor centre and restaurant, showcasing the wares of the adjoining Orkney Brewery.
Tours, including the chance to sample some of the beers, take in the history of the building and the intricacies of the brewing process. They are family-friendly, too. Children can collect stamps during the tour and understand what it was like here in the old days by donning traditional school uniforms. In the one-time classroom, the Tasting Hall cafe majors on local produce, such as Orkney cheese and seafood platters, paired with the brewery’s own beers, and the speciality steak pie, featuring Orkney beef slowly braised in the rich, complex Dark Island ale.
Throw in stunning views from its hilltop location and the proximity of the Neolithic village of Skara Brae and it’s easy to see why the brewery’s visitor experience has been awarded five stars by VisitScotland.
Other great breweries to visit include St Austell in Cornwall, Shepherd Neame in Kent and Adnams in Suffolk.
