Award-winning Salcombe Brewery Co. produces a range of premium cask ale and keg products at its innovative Estuary View brewery, which nestles in the south Devon countryside above the world famous Salcombe Estuary.
Visitors are welcome to pop into their on site shop to pick up some beer or join a 90-minute brewery tour on Thursdays, which end with a flight of Salcombe beers, to find out more from the experts. Later this year, they will be opening a taproom in Salcombe’s Island Street with food, drinks and events.
We sat down with Sam Beaman, head brewer at Salcombe Brewery, to find out a little more about his working day, the secret behind producing an excellent bottle of beer and what is next for Salcombe Brewery.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
One of the best things about my job is that no two days are the same. Managing two sites, both the brewery and packaging, means I am never short of variety and there is always a new challenge to overcome. One thing that remains a constant is the day concludes with a pint of fresh Salcombe beer, for quality control purposes of course.
What would you say makes Salcombe Brewery stand out from the rest?
We have a strong brand that is backed up by quality beer. Quality and consistency are at the centre of everything we do. The no compromise, quality focused approach that runs throughout the business, coupled with our desire for progress, is what separates us from the pack.
What do you think about food pairings for your products. Can you give us some examples of some good pairings?
Coming from a wine background, food paring is something that I am passionate about. We are due to open a new taproom later this year and food/beer parings are something that will certainly feature. Perfect examples would be our Shingle Bay that is fresh and light, this works well with fish and chips. The Salcombe Pilsner, with its gentle spice character and bittersweet finish, is great with a curry. Or our Island Street Porter works perfectly alongside oysters or alternatively with dessert.
What’s the secret behind producing an excellent bottle of Salcombe Brewery beer?
Quality ingredients and consistency are the key to producing great beer. This starts in the brewhouse with the raw materials, malt, hops, yeast and water. We change our recipes on a regular basis to keep the beers the same. The natural raw materials are forever changing, so adjustments need to be made to our process and recipes to ensure the beer stays the same.
Which are your top three beers and why?
My top three Salcombe beers form our core range in order are: Island Street Porter, Salcombe Pilsner, and Salcombe Gold. Depending on the day, the order of preference could change, but they all deliver something different and have a moreish character that draws you back for more.
According to you, what is good beer determined by?
Quality, consistency and sessionability are must haves of a good beer. Quality is a little vague but is linked closely with consistency; different beers and styles have different parameters that determine their quality. Good beer should have good condition or carbonation, the level varies depending on style but it should be consistent. Clarity is important: beer doesn’t have to be clear, but if it is hazy this should be stable. Sessionability to me is a mark of a good beer, it makes me want to go back for more.
Tell us about your efforts to limit your impact on the environment and your sustainable production methods.
We try to work with suppliers to ensure that everything we use has the lowest impact possible. We endeavour to use British hops as much as possible in our beers as these have a reduced impact on the environment. We have packaged all our own products in house since 2021. This has reduced the distance our beer travels and allowed us to significantly reduce the plastic packaging across our product range. We are constantly re-evaluating our processes with the aim of reducing our impact on the environment.
If we walked into your house right now, which beer would you have sitting next to you?
There is always some Island Street porter in the house, but if it wasn’t that then it would be a Belgian beer, most likely from a Duvel or Westmalle.
What is next for Salcombe Brewery?
This is a very exciting year for us because we will be opening a tap room on Salcombe’s famous Island Street, creating a unique venue in the town combining a great bar experience with a fully operating brewery. We are partnering with one of our largest customers, The Rockfish Group, in developing an amazing bar and restaurant setting.
The brewery, located behind the bar, will enable customers to experience the brewing process first hand while also enjoying a full service bar and high quality food sourced from Devon producers. The Taphouse will host brewery tours and tastings at the Brewer’s Table as well as other events so there will be lots of fantastic opportunities to share our amazing beer with even more people.
Factbox
Address: Estuary View, Ledstone, Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 4BL
Phone: 01548 854888
Website: salcombebrewery.com
