Copyright 2006: B. United International Inc., All rights reserved.
Wye Valley Brewery is a family run business started in 1985 by former Guinness brewer Peter Amor, in Canon Pyon, Herefordshire. The following year the brewery moved into the old stable block of the Barrels pub in Hereford (a historic 18th century coaching inn). Here the brewery remained for 16 years, steadily increasing sales and production until no further expansion was possible.
In April 2002, the brewery moved again to its present site in Stoke Lacy, where it is now recognized as the leading cask ale brewery in the county.
During the relocation, the plant and equipment were completely upgraded and re-designed, though our commitment to using only the best quality raw materials and employing traditional methods throughout has remained central to our philosophy.
The same year saw Peter’s son Vernon become Managing Director. Peter still remains very active in his role as Chairman, combining this with his other job as licensee of The Barrels.
Wye Valley Brewery has grown every year since it was established and it continues to do so. We continue to invest in plant and equipment and feel that our people are our biggest asset.
We have recently revealed our new corporate image giving us a new identity and creating a family of cask and bottled beers with a strong common theme. However, we continue to live by our simple ethos, to produce the highest possible quality beer with the best level of service to our customers.
At present, we have two pubs in our estate: the Barrels in Hereford and the Rose and Lion in Bromyard, which between them have won Herefordshire CAMRA pub of the year many times.
There are four essential ingredients required to make beer: water (referred to by brewers as liquor), malted barley, hops, and yeast.
A brew begins life with mashing in. This involves mixing together hot liquor and milled malted barley under controlled conditions in a vessel called the mash tun. The resulting mixture, called the mash, is allowed to stand for 90 minutes, during which time the starch present in the malt is converted into simple, fermentable sugars.
