Many moons ago I wrote about more than just beer reviews on this blog. At one point the occasional taproom or pub highlight would rear it’s semi-informative head onto the front page. About three years on from the last entry, we are back!
My Dad, who is of the gluten intolerant persuasion, has always wanted to visit Westerham Brewery, who are based in Kent. They are a more traditional ale, and lager, focused brewery who happen to make a vast majority of their beers gluten free. Dad has ordered online from them before and always enjoyed the variety and quality of the beer they produce. I am currently in a limbo state of ‘hospitality freelancing’ (my own term for my current self-elected, semi-unemployment) and he suggested we take a drive through the, now tolled, Blackwall Tunnel and check the place out.
Westerham Brewery is, unsurprisingly, based in Westerham in the North West of Kent. Brewing in the area dates back to the 1600s and the town was originally home to Black Eagle Brewery from the 1840s until 1965, when it sadly shut down. Westerham Brewery was established in 2004 and revived not only centuries of brewing tradition in the area but also a variety of original recipes from Black Eagle Brewery. They even managed to reclaim the rights and revive the original Black Eagle yeast strain to help preserve the heritage and continue the authenticity of the original ales from the area.
The taproom itself is nestled just outside the town of Westerham and sits alongside the Squerrys Winery, who produce award winning sparkling wine and run a deli, restaurant and tasting room. The views, as a result, are stunning. Of course this was helped by the gorgeous weather we were bestowed with on our visit, however a babbling brook running through the estate with views of vineyards is almost like something out of a storybook. Outside the taproom has space for well over a 150 people, with inside boasting plenty of seats too. As you step through you are immediately welcomed by the brewery shop, with a host of cans and other assorted merchandise. To the left is a shuffleboard table, a fast growing staple of the modern drinking establishment it seems. To the right is the bar itself. Very well designed with big, open windows that let the light in and glass panelling that lets you look into the brewery itself. Both my Dad and I agreed with how much we enjoyed and how well designed the decals on the tanks and on the back wall of the taproom are.
Now on to the important information; the beer. When we arrived, we both reluctantly agreed that the sun was not quite over the yardarm just yet and that we should have a coffee (which they serve from 10am) and a wander around the estate before diving into the booze. After what we deemed was a respectable amount of time we decided to grab a menu and scan the extensive variety of beers on offer. The menu analysis was short lived as we were instantly drawn to their gluten free Nitro Stout. I love a Guinness, which is why I like to give alternatives a go when I see them. My Dad loves a Guinness too, but in his words is “one of the worst things you can have if you are gluten intolerant” and as such he was equally as excited to try it. The beer was fantastic, and while completely distinct from a Guinness, it was still incredibly creamy and packed full of flavour. Lots of coffee notes coming through with a rich, thick body to it.
Considering they put a lot of emphasis on some of the heritage ales of the area, I followed this pint up with a pint of ‘1965’. This is a cask Special Bitter brewed using the original recipe from Black Eagle Brewery and apparently the last beer brewed by them before it closed in 1965. Simply put, this is one of the nicest bitters I’ve ever had. Incredibly well balanced bitterness with a smooth maltiness to the flavour. A fruity aroma with a very clean body that makes for easy drinking, even on a hot April afternoon. As the designated return leg driver my Dad just had a sip and had the same opinion I did. It wasn’t gluten free but he thought it was tasty enough to add to the haul of cans he bought to take home with him.
No taproom is complete without some food. In this modern hospitality climate it nigh on impossible to survive without a food offering. Westerham, appears to be completely covered with a different food truck plotting up outside the taproom every day they are open. On the Thursday we went it was the turn of Kashmir Kitchen, who offer a range of homemade North Indian curries, served with rice alongside classic sides of poppadoms, naan bread and samosas. Beer and curry is a winner by default and the ones we had were no exception to the rule. We got a curry each, one butter chicken and one venison as well as a samosa each and everything was incredibly tasty and aromatic. The chicken in particular was very tender and the samosas had a great spicy kick to them. Generous portion size, we thought too. We felt plenty full afterwards. Yusuf, who runs Kashmir Kitchen, was also super friendly and chatty. Even gave us a poppadom on the house which was really lovely. Thoroughly recommend going on a Thursday and grabbing his food if you can!
Both of us couldn’t recommend a trip down to Westerham’s enough. Not only is there a fantastic brewery to check out, if you line things up you can take a little brewery tour and tasting on a Saturday and segue conveniently into a trip around the Squerrys show vineyard, finally settling in with a local Kentish cheeseboard afterwards. With your choice of beer or bubbly (or both) of course! If you live locally, there appears to loads going on through the week. In the evening of the Thursday we were there they had 84 people booked in for a quiz night! They also hold live music events, comedy nights and have a catalogue of almost 100 different boards games. If you’re London based, it is admittedly difficult to reach via public transport. However, if you’re in ‘The Garden of England’ for a staycation or fancy a day trip outside of London in the car, it is certainly worth the trip! And if you’re a gluten intolerant beer drinker, pining over their lost love for Guinness, I think you’ll be hard pressed to find somewhere else in the UK that scratches that specific itch as well as Westerham’s do.
My Dad and I had such a wonderful time at Westerham. So much so, that we thought we’d make it a more regular thing. A trip to a taproom (or interesting pub) to fill in the voids of my irregular shifts during my ‘fun-employment’. Sounds like a great plan to me! Hopefully “Drinks with my Dad” (placeholder name for alliterative purposes and very open to suggestions) will become a semi-regular feature on the blog.
Let me know if you’ve ever been to Westerham’s taproom before and what you thought! Cheers and thanks for reading!
Lorenzo Beer Reviews 