Sharp’s Brewery has been celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Yesterday (Aug 26) marked 30 years since Bill Sharp, the founder of Sharp’s Brewery and creator of the UK’s leading cask ale, Doom Bar, dispatched the first brew the from Rock’s Pityme Industrial Estate, and started what is now Sharp’s Brewing Co in earnest.
To commemorate the occasion, Sharp returned to the brewery to join members of the current team to reflect on, and celebrate, what 30 years of Sharp’s brewing success means for the business and the team in creating its world class beer and drinks portfolio.
“It has been very rewarding and nostalgic to come back today,” he said. “And to see faces that I took on nearly 30 years ago, still here. It’s very special, and it’s incredibly pleasing.”
Pityme Industrial Estate sits in the St Minver Lowlands, on the edge of Rock, and in 1994 Bill Sharp took over the unit, which had previously been a store for speedboats. Prior to the move, he had trialled ‘home brewing’ in his garage, also in Rock, and had been pleased with the taste and quality of the results.
Believing he was onto something, and determined to service the local summer holiday trade, meanwhile making an income for himself and family, he took on a four-year lease on the 1,000 sq ft unit. He then set up a microbrewery next to the local milkman and set about producing his first small scale commercial brews, selling and delivering the results to local Cornish pubs and bars.
The first Sharp’s beers were Sharp’s Own, a rich malty best bitter, and Cornish Coaster, a light and hoppy pale ale. In 1995 the inspiration for what was set to become a legendary ‘new style’ UK amber ale struck. Sharp said: “This new style of beer and ale was a growing trend in the UK, and I realised no one was making beer like this in Cornwall. The main challenge at the time was to achieve good quality and consistency. This needed attention to detail, and not leaving anything to chance, with good cleanliness and good management of the product. That’s what I set out to do.
“So Doom Bar came about by sheer chance. My Dad and I used to sit in The Maltsters pub, of a Friday, seeing if anyone would dare come in and order a pint of our brew – summing up what the chances were, and taking bets on what we thought they were going to order. Dad used to always have a pint of our Sharp’s Coaster and Sharp’s Own. And if he fancied another pint, he’d put what he had left of both together in one glass. So, he could be blamed for giving me the idea of Doom Bar.”
Back at the brewery, Sharp experimented with this new ‘blend’ of the two already popular Sharp’s beers and christened the new cask ale brew ‘Doom Bar’ after the treacherous sandbar which sits nearby in the Camel Estuary. And from there, the rest is history. Doom Bar became exceedingly popular in the county, and then Sharp and the team began to find and untap the demand for the amber ale in bars and pubs further up the West Country, and it then became clear that there was a demand for this incredible brew far beyond the region.
With Doom Bar growing so quickly, alongside other popular Sharp’s beers, Sharp took the decision to sell the brewery so that even more investment in bigger facilities could be made. It was acquired in 2003 by Nick Baker and Joe Keohane who set about bringing Sharp’s beers to a younger audience across the UK. As a result, volumes rose from 25,000 brewers barrels a year in 1993 to 75,000 in 2010.
In 2011, the two entrepreneurs sold to global brewing leader Molson Coors Beverage Company who have continued to invest in the brands, people and brewery site in Rock. Since Molson Coors’ involvement, over £20 million has been invested into the Pityme Industrial site to unlock its growth potential. All the Sharp’s beers are now available right across the country.
Just last week, Sharp’s learned that it had again won several medals at the prestigious World Beer Awards. In the pale beer category Doom Bar was named as the best Amber Ale in the UK taking the Gold medal and Country winner awards, and Chalky’s Bite best Belgian Blonde won both the Gold medal and Country winner.
Head of supply chain, Donna Breakspear, was delighted to see Bill Sharp back at the brewery.
“I’ve worked with Sharp’s and Molson Coors teams for almost a decade in different capacities, she said, “and I can safely say there is a certain energy and passion that runs through our core that is unique, and unlike anything I have experienced previously, and I am thrilled to be part of this. It’s been great to see Bill return for our 30th anniversary and to hear how things were when he first set up the brewery.
James Nicholls and Chris Winn both started with Sharp’s Brewery as summer jobs whilst they studied or worked elsewhere in the winters – James in 1995 and Chris in 1997. Bill Sharp saw the talent and passion in both of them, and persuaded them to join as full-time team members, meaning they have both been through each of the evolutions and all the growth cycles.
Chris Winn is now Sharp’s racking leader and recalled: “When I started here, it was one small unit and there were six of us working here. We each took it in turn to do every job, and over the last 27 years, I’ve pretty much followed that pattern as I’ve loved the ongoing opportunity for progression and personal development and have had the chance to learn about so many aspects of the production side of the business.”
He added: “It’s been so great to see Bill come back in after all this time and just be amazed at the size and scale of it all now. Having that history with us, yet continuing to see it grow even now is just amazing for all of us who work here. I want to work at Sharp’s until I’m ready to retire. There’s nowhere better.”
Nicholls, who is now part of the senior leadership team as Sharp’s marketing controller, added: “It is phenomenal to stand back for a moment and think about the major work we have done since those early days, and how far the brewery and its beers – particularly Doom Bar – have come.
“The relentless focus on the quality of our beer gives me much pride as do the medal tallies, given we’ve now won over 170 international brewing awards and accolades.
“For me, Sharp’s has never just been a job. It’s a way of life and we’ve always all shared an infectious energy and a passion for what we do, and where we do it, here at the brewery.”
