Press Release

Blooming success for Kew Brew

Kew brew bottleFollowing its tremendous success at Kew Gardens and local pubs, Kew Brew is now going on sale exclusively at the major supermarket chain Waitrose, allowing this unique beer to reach a much wider audience. The guest beer is a seasonal listing and will be on the shelves from Monday 12th July priced at just £1.69 per bottle.

Waitrose decided to stock Kew Brew after it won over their stringent taste panel. A spokesperson for Waitrose said, “It is a great beer first and foremost”. This special ale is also produced in their heartland trading area and with a significant contrubution from every bottle sold going back to Kew it was an added bonus that their consumers would be given the opportunity to support the World Heritage Site’s international science and conservation work.

13,000 bottles were produced in the initial run but Young’s brewery is now standing by ready to produce a second brew if the first batch runs out, with hops that were held back from last year's Brewing Display in the Princess of Wales conservatory. Ken Don, Young’s head brewer, says, “The display we helped stage at Kew last year included a tiny field of malting barley and a miniature hop garden among all the historical exhibits. It seemed natural that we should try to use some of these traditional ingredients of beer, so we harvested the hops and have dried them ready for brewing alongside commercially grown hops from Kent. The result is a pale brown, fruity and hoppy beer, packed full of flavour.”

Notes to Editors
Kew Brew will be available to buy in selected Waitrose stores from 12th July 2004 until September 2004 for £1.69 per bottle. Please see www.kew.org/whatsnew for the full list of 107 nationwide Waitrose stores.

· Kew Brew will continue to be sold in Kew Gardens Orangery and Pavillion restaurants for consumption on the premises.
· Kew Brew is available in a 500ml bottle, alcohol 5% Vol.
· Young’s brewery owns 208 pubs in London and the South of England. The company has been based at the 400 year old Ram Brewery in Wandsworth since 1831 and maintains traditional brewing methods. Shire horses still make daily deliveries of beer from the Ram Brewery to local pubs.

Further Information (media enquiries only)
· Lauren Bird, Kew Gardens Press Office Tel 020 8332 5607 or email pr@kew.org
· Michael Hardman, Young’s Press Office Tel 01483 542 952 or email hardmancom@aol.com
· Natalie Winder, Waitrose Press Office Tel 01344 824 158 or email natalie_winder@waitrose.co.uk

 

 


For further Press information please contact:

Kew:

Public Relations
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Richmond
Surrey TW9 3AB
UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5607/5619
Email:pr@kew.org

 

Wakehurst Place:

Public Relations
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Wakehurst Place
Ardingly
West Sussex RH17 6TN
UK

Tel: +44 (0)1444 894018
Email: msb@kew.org