Hall and Woodhouse Ltd (better known these days as Badger) of Blandford St Mary, Dorset has been around since 1777, making it one of the oldest breweries in England. The brewery is well known for its traditional beers but things are moving on, albeit gently. Giles Mountford, Badger’s Drinks Marketing Manager said, “We have built a brand in the off-trade but need to consider the on-trade as well. With the premium traditional beer market being down 30%, we wanted to make in-roads into craft beer, reflecting the changes in drinkers’ habits. But it’s important that the beers are accessible.” The result is three new beers under their non cask beer sub brand ‘Outland’. One is an IPA, available on draught and in cans, which has citrus and tropical fruits and a growing spiciness. The other two beers are available only in cans at the moment but draught versions may appear in due course. The sweet Ginger Pale Ale has a definite ginger character overlaid with honey and the smooth ruby black Milk Stout has classic chocolate and vanilla notes balanced by plums. You should be able to find the beers in any of their pubs, as well as a number of supermarkets.
Badger have around 200 pubs across the country of which six are in London: Prince Edward, Bayswater (W2 4NY); Ship and Shovell, Charing Cross (WC2N 5PH); Old Nick, Holborn (WC1R 4PZ); Shaston Arms, Soho (W1F 7QN); the Eel Pie, Twickenham (TW1 3NJ) and St Stephens Tavern, Westminster (SW1A 2JR). The brewery’s pubs are generally worth a visit, so trying their new beers might offer the necessary excuse. See www.hall-woodhouse.co.uk.
Christine Cryne