Making its début at the Craft Brewers Conference & Brew Expo America®, Ilkley Brewery will next week travel to Washington DC where it will be part of a delegation of 10 British breweries who will each showcase their beers to the thousands gathered at one of North America’s biggest craft beer conventions.
The delegation, organised and part-funded by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the Brewing, Food & Beverage Industry Suppliers Association (BFBi), will be based at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre for the conference, which takes place from the 26 to the 29 March. Each brewery will present their British-brewed beers to an audience of over 5,000 global brewing professionals.
Chris Ives, Ilkley Brewery’s managing director and head brewer, will represent the West Yorkshire-based brew house and will be taking three beers with him to the convention: Siberia, a rhubarb Saison; Lotus IPA, a classic, strongly hopped India Pale Ale; and a specially brewed 6% version of the brewery’s flagship ale, Mary Jane.
Speaking about his forthcoming American trip, Chris said: “It’s fantastic to be working with the BFBi and UKTI to introduce some of Britain’s best breweries to American beer enthusiasts at the CBC. This is a wonderful opportunity for Ilkley Brewery as we start to export.
“The Craft Brewers Conference allows delegates to exchange skills and ideas that help improve brewing quality and performance. As only a four year old brewery, we are always looking to boost our know-how, learn from other excellent brewers and improve our beers in every way possible so having the opportunity to position ourselves among such an influential overseas crowd is going to be a hugely valuable experience for Ilkley Brewery.
“We hope that the beers we have selected for the convention will be well received by delegates: we have chosen them based on emerging craft beer styles but at the same time, we wanted to give people a taste of something deceptively different, handmade in Yorkshire.”
The nine other British breweries taking part in the delegation are Camden Town Brewery, Freeminer Brewery, Fyne Ales, Hambleton Ales, Harbour Brewery, Highland Brewery, Hilden Brewery, Penpont Brewery and Khukuri Beer.
To find out more about Ilkley Brewery, visit: www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk or follow Ilkley Brewery on Twitter @Ilkleybrewery and Facebook www.facebook.com/ilkley.
ENDS
Image attached:
– Ilkley Brewery’s rhubard Saison, Siberia, will be showcased at the Craft Brewers Conference & Brew Expo America® in Washington DC from 26 to 29 March.
Media contact:
For further media information, please contact Katy Barraclough, Conway PR, on 07813 094945 / 01943 430257 or email katy@conwaypr.co.uk
Notes to editors:
The Ilkley Brewery Co. Ltd. was founded in January 2009. In May 2009, it launched its first beer, Olicana Gold, which was closely followed by Ilkley Best and Ilkley Original who were joined in the summer by the now famous Mary Jane.
A string of awards has followed with most of the beers now brewed by the brewery winning medals at beer competitions up and down the country.
In January 2011, Ilkley Brewery secured a debt and equity package from Glentrool Capital Partners LLP, who also provide corporate support to help grow the company. This enabled Ilkley Brewery to move from its premises on East Parade to a new 2,600 square foot brewery on Ashlands Road, Ilkley. A new 20 barrel brewing plant was installed allowing the brewery to produce 23,000 pints a week.
In October 2011, a new 30 barrel fermenter was acquired, taking production to over 32,000 pints a week. In March 2012, production capacity expanded again to close to 40,000 pints a week.
In January 2012, Ilkley Brewery was crowned one of Yorkshire’s most promising companies in the Government-backed Local Business Accelerators campaign, going onto win the national prize in August 2012 for being one of the country’s fastest growing and successful businesses.
April 2012 saw the launch of the Origins range, showcasing the best in beer styles and brewing. Medina and Siberia were the first collaboration brews with renowned beer writers, and The Chief, Victorian Pale Dinner Ale, Wit Marie, Green Goddess, and Holy Cow have since followed to much critical acclaim.
As of August 2012, bottles of Mary Jane, Ilkley Best, Ilkley Black and Ilkley Pale are available in Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Booths supermarkets across the north of England, as well as Harvey Nichols stores and restaurants nationally.
Additional SIBA medals for Ilkley Black and Lotus IPA were awarded in October 2012 (Bronze and Silver respectively).
November 2012 saw the first export sales to leave the UK.
Katy Barraclough MCIPR
Conway PR
M: 07813 094945
T: 01943 430257
Twitter: @conwaypr