The New Generation
Trevor Knight F.I.L.S.A.
Trevor Knight continues his journey across the country in search of the new breed of Britain’s brewers.
PART 19 - WEST SUSSEX. Leaving Surrey we head south towards the West Sussex coast “Sussex, Sussex by the Sea”. The song was written in 1907 by solicitor, composer and songwriter William Ward-Higgs for the wedding of his sister-in-law to a Captain Waithman of the Royal Sussex Regiment. Waithman himself performed it in September 1908 at a concert at Ballykinain Camp where the Battalion was posted at the time - so this famous song of Sussex had its first official performance in Ireland! By 1914 it had been adopted as the quick marching song of the Royal Sussex Regiment. We begin in the town of Arundel which nestles in a gap in the Sussex Downs. For centuries the gap has been guarded by Arundel Castle, home of the Dukes of Norfolk, Earls Marshal of England for five hundred years. Below the castle the streets run down to the riverbank of the Arun which flows into the sea less than five miles away, reminding us that in Norman times the town was a port. The town has many Victorian buildings but there is still an 18th century coaching inn, The Norfolk Arms, in the High Street as well as several other fine houses of this time.
ARUNDEL BREWERY, founded in 1992 is the historic town’s first brewery in more than sixty years, marking the rebirth of a local tradition dating back more than 200 years. The original Arundel Brewery had established itself as the main provider of employment and local pride. A commitment to traditional brewing 8
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methods and using only the finest hops and malt has resulted in a range of high quality cask-conditioned real ales that are enjoyed throughout the country. Under new ownership since 2003 the brewery continues to improve its range of core brands and supplies around 70 outlets.
GAUNTLET (3.5%)ABV. A light refreshing session beer - the blend of malt and hops produce an excellent initial flavour and a pleasant bitter finish.
We continue eastwards along the A27 trunk road, passing close to some of the most familiar coastal resorts of a bygone age Littlehampton, Rustington, Worthing and Shoreham-by-Sea - to arrive in Brighton. England’s most fashionable resort had its origins in the village of Brighthelmstone when a local doctor published a book in 1750 extolling the virtues of sea air and bathing. When these were taken up by the Prince of Wales and his circle in 1783, the reputation of the resort was made! Brighton’s outstanding landmark, the Royal Pavilion, was built for the Prince of Wales in 1787 and re-built by John Nash in 1815 with tent-like roofs, minarets and a large onion-shaped dome in the style of an Indian mogul’s palace The oldest quarter of the town is The Lanes - narrow twisting brick-paved passages lined by 17th century fishermen’s cottages - now mostly antique shops.
CASTLE (3.8%)ABV. A pale tawny beer with fruit and malt noticeable in the aroma. The flavour has a good balance of fruit, malt and hops with a dry hoppy finish.
STRONGHOLD (4.7%)ABV A smooth full-flavoured premium bitter. A good balance of fruit, malt and hops come through in this rich brew.
Leaving Brighton - holiday playground, centre for political conferences and showpiece of Regency architecture - we briefly head north-east to the ancient county town of Lewes. Around 1,000 years of history have left their mark on Lewes with its Norman castle, jumble of medieval streets linked by passages known as ‘twittens’ and great variety of buildings. Founded over 200 years ago the family owned brewery of Harvey & Son (Lewes) has its own ongoing historical connections with the town. (Regular readers of this magazine may recall the feature on the brewery in my series Breweries of Britain). Nestling at the foot of the South Downs at Plumpton, our featured New Generation brewery is a relative newcomer compared to Harvey & Son.