There is something just a little quirky about the Beerblefish Brewing Company – and they are proud of it. Take the brewery’s name to start with, which is inspired by the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The book has also influenced the names of some of their brews such as the Pan Galactic Pale Ale and the Infinite Probability Saison, so called because the beer is brewed in winter (most Saisons are spring beers).
Husband and wife, James and Bethany Atherton originally tested the market by brewing at UBrew before moving into their own brewery in Edmonton three years ago. It is a 4.5 barrel plant with seven fermenters in two rooms. A further two fermenters are hidden in a corner behind some casks, awaiting parts so that they can be installed. Space is tight with a top floor for office work and a mezzanine for storing ingredients.
Unlike many other London breweries, Beerblefish is 85% cask, 10% bottles (all done by hand) and only 5% KeyKeg although this is growing. Glenn Heinzel, who does most of the brewing and sales, commented that ‘It’s hard to make a decent return on cask’. Glenn has his own beer brand too, Tankleys, and James also has a second string to his bow as he still takes on IT contracts.
Glenn is assisted by Andrew Vaughan. This came about when James and Bethany were helping out at Crisis at Christmas in Paddington and they noticed that there were a disproportionate number of ex-service people there. Consequently, when the brewery was looking for some extra help, they turned to ex-service people. Andrew is going to be doing his IBD Certificate of Brewing later this year and has already started in some experimentation with new recipes on the brewery’s mini kit.
In addition to the Hitchhiker inspired beers, there is Squidling, an amber ale, so called because James said, “We always joked that if we had a child we would call them Squidling” and Viking. The latter was brewed as something different for friends. It’s a 5.3% ABV Kveik, a Scandinavian beer style using heather, yarrow, juniper and oak chips. “No Vikings were harmed in the making of this beer,” quipped James.
Beerblefish also like to delve into the history of British beer, creating recipes that pay homage to beers from the 1800s. The enthusiasm for these older beers came from reading Ron Pattison’s blog ‘Shut up about Barclay Perkins’. The current range includes an 1820 Porter, an 1853 ESB and an 1881 Oak Aged ESB plus an 1892 IPA, all at 5.3% ABV and above. Add to this an Imperial Mild at 7.1% ABV and James’ claim that ‘We don’t do weak beer’ rings true.
The brewery’s outlets are mainly around London and include Orpington Liberal Club and various people in Kent. If you don’t come across them in pubs, then while Beerblefish do not have a tap room, they do have the occasional open day. See their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter to find out when and try Beerblefish’s quirky beer for yourselves.
Christine Cryne