New bar, menu and entertainment ready for festive season
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Hogs Back Brewery in Tongham, as the brewer unveils a packed festive programme in its newly refurbished Tap bar.
Starting on 2nd December, the musical line-up covers all genres from rock to brass bands, free music on Saturday nights and selected Thursday and Fridays through the month, as well as family-friendly events including a carol concert and quiz – all to be enjoyed with a glass of brewery-fresh Hogs Back beer, and a home-cooked meal or snack from the new menu.
The Tap Room has been refurbished with a focus on comfort, adding new cosy corners and soft seating, as well as an heated outdoor marquee. The new bar offers a wide selection of Hogs Back draught beers fresh from the cellar, including returning Christmas favourite Advent Ale, as well as locally distilled gins and a new wine list.
With the newly installed kitchen comes a new, broader menu. The popular stone-baked pizzas, cooked on the outdoor pizza oven, are joined by hearty winter favourites such as Beef Stew and Vegan Sweet Potato Pie, a selection of sharing platters and a Special Sunday menu. All food is freshly prepared, and sourced from ingredients within a 30-mile radius wherever possible.
Trading hours are extending during December, including a new, earlier opening time of 10.00 am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, offering tea, coffee and cakes baked by local Loseley Bakery – ideal for visitors heading to the Hogs Back Brewery Shop for their festive beer purchases. Beer and other alcoholic drinks will be served after midday.
Rupert Thompson, Hogs Back Brewery managing director, said: “Building the Brewery Tap has been a huge project for us and it’s rewarding to see it now complete in time for Christmas.
“We’re very proud of all we have to offer over the festive season: wonderful fresh beers, delicious local food and an amazing range of entertainment. We’re looking forward to welcoming guests between now and Christmas and can promise them all a wonderful time whether visiting us with friends, family, or for an office party.”
Some of the entertainment highlights, many of them local bands, include:
- Thursday 2nd December: The Congakeyz kick off the Christmas season with a festive unplugged set of hit cover tracks from rock, soul, pop and funk.
- Saturday 4th December: The Juggernaut of Rock, before they jet off to star at top apres-ski parties, headline a great night of live rock music in aid of the YoungMind charity.
- Sunday 5th December: Christmas Carols with the Friary Brass Band, with sing-along carols and other traditional Christmas tunes. Song sheets provided!
- Friday 10th December: The TR5s, favourites at the Tap, return with a rock’n’roll Christmas swing.
- Saturday 18th December: Don’t Look Now, a brilliant party band, with music ranging from Rock & Roll to Britpop of the 90’s & 00’s.
- Thursday 23rd December: Christmas Charity Quiz, a family-friendly event testing festive trivia.
For a full list of entertainment, opening hours and menus, or to find out about office or other festive group events at the Hogs Back Tap, visit www.hogsback.co.uk
Notes to editors
- Hogs Back Brewery was founded in 1992 in Tongham, in the heart of the traditional Surrey hop growing area.
- Its flagship brand TEA, or Traditional English Ale, is one of the leading regional ales in the South East. The first beer brewed by Hogs Back in 1992, TEA has won multiple awards including runner-up in CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain in 2000.
- Other awards include CAMRA’s Champion Bottled Beer of Britain 2020 for its A over T (Aromas over Tongham) 9% ABV bottle conditioned barley wine and a Bronze medal in the International Cider Challenge 2019 for its traditional cloudy cider, Hazy Hog.
- The Hogs Back Brewery range includes a number of award-winning draught, bottled and canned beers, demonstrating its ability to combine brewing expertise and tradition with product innovation to create distinctive, memorable beers.
- Hogs Back planted a hop garden adjacent to its brewery in 2014, growing three hop varieties: Fuggles – used in its flagship TEA; Cascade – used in Hogstar lager; and Farnham White Bine.
- Hogs Back relocated its hop garden in 2019 to occupy an 8.5 acre site next to the brewery. In September 2021, it harvested its largest-ever hop crop, and staged Hop Harvest celebrations over a weekend, attracting 2,500 people.
- As part of its drive to become an ever more sustainable brewer, Hogs Back is aiming to eliminate single use plastic. They have introduced refillable glass Snorters (3.5 pints) and Snifters (1 ¾ pints), and to date have removed 10,000 PETs, earning them Plastic Free Champion status from Surfers Against Sewage.
- www.hogsback.co.uk.
Press release from Hogs Back
Issued by: ShielPorter Communications
Further information:
ros@shielporter.com / 07841 694137
john@shielporter.com / 07734 054389