Hook Norton Brewery

Hook Norton Brewery: A Short Introduction

I grew up in rural North Oxfordshire and as a child was fortunate enough to have spent a great many happy hours in the gardens of Hook Norton pubs. As an older teenager I played pool on the teams of Hook Norton Brewery owned pubs and, as a young professional living away from home, my first port of call when I go to see my parents is always the local with my old man.

It is therefore with great pleasure (and more than a little nostalgia) that I bring you Real Ale Reviews’ first ‘brewery profile’. I have to admit that I hold Hook Norton Brewery in a highly elevated position amongst UK breweries and in all honesty this is in no small part due to the fact that I grew up in ‘Hooky Country’. However, like the lucky sod who lives at number seven when a beautiful, intelligent girl lives at number five, I have found the quality of what I started with has led it to being the best I’m yet to find.

Hook Norton Brewery’s History

In 1849 a chap called John Harris began what was to become Hook Norton Brewery in his farmhouse. Over 150 years later the now well established business is still in the hands of Harris’s family, currently run by his great great grandson. In the modern age it is testament to the ethos of the business that they have resisted the temptation to sellout in order to turn a quick profit. Equally demonstrative of the traditional principles which run deep in the veins of Hook Norton is that fact that the brewery remains steam-powered, with power being provided by steam engines installed way back in 1899.

While cynics may point at the current trend towards popularity for the traditional and claim that Hook Norton are cashing in, I personally see no merit in this argument. Admittedly the traditional aspects are currently a major pull for a small brewery trying to compete in the modern world. I would even concede that the re-introduction of local deliveries by Dray and Shire Horse in 1985, 35 years after their initial cessation, does appear to be something of a gimmick. But are they not also an important part of helping people to understand the history of what the brewery is about and what it is trying to achieve?

The steam engines that power Hook Norton Brewery are thought to be the only engines in the UK currently put to daily use for their originally intended purpose. For me this is where history stops and innovation begins. It must have been difficult to resist change in times when tradition was not lauded and things could be done more efficiently with new technology. The brewers at Hook Norton chose to do just that and carry on making fine ales in the best way they knew how.

Hook Norton Brewery Today

Reaping the rewards of a rich history is all well and good but one gets the definite feeling from Hook Norton that the management intends on building a solid future on the foundations laid by the brewery’s past. In 2009 they are producing a seasonal beer for each month of the year, meaning that I will be trying some for the first time. The brewery also runs a visitor centre, alongside it’s well stocked shop, giving guided tours of the brewery which include opportunities to sample the beers brewed within.

Please visit their website for more information at www.hooknortonbrewery.co.uk