Harvey & Son is an independent family Brewing Company, founded n 1790. It is the oldest in Sussex and is still in the family after eight generations. It overlooks the river Ouse in Lewes just by the Cliff Wharf bridge. In 1880, the tower and brewhouse were rebuilt with a Neo-Gothic facade and are now picturesque Grade II listed buildings. Behind these are the Georgian fermenting room, cellars and Vat House. It is a fine example of a traditional country brewery.
Harveys produces around 50,000 barrels of beer per year, of which 4 are regular cask brews and 8 are seasonal. In addition to this, a number of bottled beers are produced throughout the year.
The brewery has won numerous brewing awards. It achieved CAMRA best bitter of the year in both 2005 and 2006, and in 2015 won the CAMRA’s Champion bottled beer of Britain with its Imperial Extra Double Stout following its award for World’s Best Imperial Stout in 2014.
Tours around the brewery are extremely limited with long waiting lists, but the branch is most privileged to have obtained a slot on Saturday 26th of October, which will be conducted by none other than head brewer and joint MD, Miles Jenner. Miles was voted UK’s brewer of the year in 2009, and in more recent years has served as Master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers, which first received its charter in 1438.
Our trip will start in Hertford East Railway Station at 09,00, then pick up (if necessary) at Hatfield Railway Station (09,20) and then St Albans at 09.40, eventually arriving at the Brewery around 12.00. A comprehensive and entertaining excursion around the Brewery will be followed by generous tastings and a trip to the Brewshop. This will leave us with approximately 2 hours to sample the delights of Lewes, the historic county town of East Sussex which dates back to before 1148, when it received its charter, and its priory, castle restaurants and pubs.
We leave Lewes around 17.00 and stop off on the return journey at Egham for about an hour at the United Services Club, a multi CAMRA award-winning establishment. It has been regional club of the year many times and a finalist of the UK CAMRA Club of the Year as well. We return back to St Albans around 20.00 and Hertford around 20.40.
Places will be limited on this trip and will be allocated on a first come first served basis to those that guarantee to pay the trip costs of £20 per person. Please email ian.boyd@me.com to book your place.
