You scratch my back...

Helping other local businesses is a no-brainer (and good fun).

We sold our first beer on 31 May 2021. Our shiny new website had some pretty photos of the lakes and a map with no stockists on it. It also explained the values we wanted to drive the business – quality, fun, responsibility, and collaboration.

Two-and-a half years on, how are we doing with that list? The beers are winning awards and being sold by a growing number of stockists (but more are always welcome!). We’re strengthening our ties with the Cotswold Lakes Trust and supporting local community events and groups wherever as can. And we’re having fun, although we can’t pretend that it isn’t sometimes bloody hard work spinning all the plates.

What about collaboration? We’re chuffed with how it’s going. Taproom regulars will know that we use local producers for our drinks range: wine from Poulton Hill Estate, spirits from Wood Brothers, cider from Just Pressed, fruit juices from Bensons and so on. They’re all great people, and we’ve teamed up with some of them to hold joint events at the taproom. But there’s lots of other stuff going on. Here’s a flavour:

• We’re working on beer collaborations with the guys at Roots + Seeds Kitchen Garden in Cirencester Park. We’ve brewed a Beetroot and Ginger golden ale using their produce, which is sold in the café, and something with celeriac in it is next on the list. You can also taste the beer at the taproom if you’re quick.
• Jesse Smith’s Farm Shop has stocked our beers pretty much since we started. The team there has swapped out the Guinness in their Beef and Guinness pies and now use our lovely, rich Cotswold Porter instead.
• If you go to the Malt & Anchor restaurant in Cirencester and drink their Yeah Buoy brew, that’s our CLB craft lager behind the label.
• We’ve also got ‘own label’ beers being stocked at Bibury Trout Farm, Lower Mill Estate, and The Funghi Club in Marlborough. Labelling is a manual process though – there’s no clever machinery yet at CLB, so it’s mostly down to Terry and his marker pen!

We can’t and don’t take these relationships for granted. We’ve got to keep delivering a great product. But we’re loving the experience of working with other local businesses. Roll on 2024.