What better way to get to know your local beer than by taking a Ludlow Brewery tour? I popped down on the train yesterday to try it for myself. Located just next to the train station in a converted railway shed, it’s really easy to get to. So there’s no excuse not to really.
The Lowdown
It’s a solid afternoon’s entertainment. Your guide takes you through the history of Ludlow Brewery, and will help you to understand the whole brewing process. We sniffed hops and malt, then took a walk around the brewhouse, to see the kit for ourselves. There are lots of exciting things happening – not least new lagering tanks! All the big and shiny that you can eat. Which is what you want from a brewery tour.
The tour was relaxed and friendly. Plenty of opportunities to ask questions if there is something you don’t understand. But there was enough detail and insight to keep it interesting if you are already familiar with how a brewery works. I really enjoyed finding out more about the stories of each of the beers – how the recipes were developed, how they were named and how Ludlow Brewery have really become a valued part of the furniture in the town.
Brewed in Ludlow, for Ludlow
Their commitment to sourcing locally, selling locally and environmental sustainability was really clear throughout the tour. So if you live more than about 50 miles away from Ludlow then, sorry, you’re just going to have to take a trip to get some of these delicious beers.
There was of course a tasting at the end of the tour, where we worked through the six beers in the core range. This was a great opportunity to get to try a range of beer styles, and for geeks like me, it was really fun to have the hops available to smell alongside the beers to help you really pick out the aromas that those little cones are adding to the finished product.
The details
The tour comes in at a very reasonable £10 a ticket. Plus you get a cheeky discount if you travel by train (which was actually very quick and convenient for me yesterday, for a change!) This includes the tasting at the end. For a 90 minute, 2 hour experience I think it is excellent value for money. You can always pick up some bottles to take home or have a pint in the beautiful taproom afterwards too. This would be a lovely thing to give as a gift, or just a great way to have a bit of educational fun of an afternoon. Highly recommended.
🐐 The Railway Shed, Station Drive, Ludlow, SY8 2PQ
🐐 Book tours on the Ludlow Brewery website
I was invited along on the tour as a guest, but that has not influenced my opinion of the experience. My opinions are my own, I’m afraid. We’ll all just have to learn to live with it.