Wye Valley Brewery

Wye Valley Brewery Ltd, Stoke Lacy, Bromyard, Herefordshire, HR7 4HG

Tel (01885) 490505; Fax (01885) 490595;
Website www.wyevalleybrewery.co.uk

Having left Guinness, Peter Amor set up the Abbey Brewery in Retford, Notts, in 1983. In 1985, the Abbey Brewery was moved to the Nags Head at Canon Pyon where it displaced another small brewery (Tates). Renamed Wye Valley, it started to serve the local trade as well as the Nags Head. The next year the brewery moved again, to premises at the rear of the Lamb Inn in Hereford, which was then renamed the Barrels. Brewing capacity was uprated in 1992.

With direct distribution over a wide area and nationally via wholesalers, output grew steadily, and by the end of the decade the brewery was operating at full capacity. In 2001, part of the redundant premises of Symonds Cider of Stoke Lacy, between Hereford and Bromyard, was acquired and virtually all-new brewery was installed, coming on stream in Spring 2002. p>

In 1990, the Dorothy Goodbody name was introduced for seasonal beers. The computer-generated image of Dorothy was supplemented by some risqué stories to promote the brand. The stout has now become a year-round brew. Commemorative ales also appear under the Wye Valley name. Awards are too numerous to list, but include three times winner of beer of the festival at Cardiff for Butty Bach; Gold award for DG’s Stout in the Stouts and Porters class and overall winner at the CAMRA National Winter Ale Festival, 2002; and winner of the bitter ale and best bitter classes for HPA and Butty Bach in the West Midlands Beer of the Year 2006.

Monthly special brews are also produced, many of which commemorate local characters. These are notable for the high quality of the associated display material. Butty Bach and Dorothy Goodbody's Country Ale, Golden Ale and Wholesome Stout are available in bottle conditioned form.

In recent years, the company has continued to expand, with almost all the elements of the operation at Stoke Lacy being replaced, with particular emphasis on energy efficiency and recycling. Peter Amor’s son, Vernon, who counts a spell at Young’s Brewery as part of his training, has taken over as Managing Director. A new, hoppy session IPA, The Hopfather, was introduced to meet changing tastes, and has become part of the core range of cask ales.

The Brewery shop is open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm; Saturday 9:30am - 1:30pm, and brewery tours are available, by appointment, for groups of 10 or more.