#followtheswallow
Based in a rural location, near Lodsworth, in the South Downs
National Park, Langham
Brewery supplies local and independent pubs
including the Hollist
Arms in Lodsworth, Petworth’s Angel
Inn and the Duke
of Cumberland Arms, Henley village, north of
Midhurst.
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Village sign at entrance to Langham Brewery shows the Hollist Arms pub. |
With pubs closed during parts of 2020 / 2021, due to lockdown
restrictions, the brewery embarked on an ambitious four point plan to
overcome reduced sales of casks and kegs of beer:
Open a Taproom at the brewery site
Open a Shop onsite for drive through collections
Launch an Online shop for local and national deliveries
Add a Canning line at the brewery
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The Taproom reopened in 12 April 2021 with a large gazebo in the sheltered courtyard. Additional outside tables are available in the courtyard with views of nearby fields and woods.
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The Shop operates from a counter at the front of the Granary building
which houses the brewery. The Canning line is due to be installed in
June 2021.
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| Lesley Foulkes, Langham Brewery |
The brewery’s 10 Barrel (BBL) kit was sourced from Wickwar Brewery
and
relies on steam for heat. The Wickwar vessels had
all been given names including Martha the Mash
Tun, Cathy the Copper and Fiona the Fermenter. Recently the original
brewery has been augmented with fermenting vessels ordered from China
including a 20 BBL conical fermenting vessel and a further 10 BBL
fermenter named Fanny.
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A door on the south side of the brewery looks out towards the South Downs. What a lovely place to work, with swallows flying over the brewery from late spring!Taproom customers enjoy table service from friendly and knowledgeable
staff like Bex, originally from Berkshire. With my young childhood
spent near Redford, west of Midhurst, it makes absolute sense that
she would want to settle in this beautiful part of West Sussex with
its sunken lanes and rolling hills. My parents once used to live even
closer to the brewery, at Bexleyhill, some years before I was born! No wonder that I feel so connected with Langham Brewery! As a superannuated wannabe hippie, even the brewery’s beer names resonate with me – LSD first caught my attention years ago - it stands for Langham Special Draught!
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Taproom customers enjoy table service from friendly and knowledgeable staff like Bex, originally from Berkshire. With my young childhood spent near Redford, west of Midhurst, it makes absolute sense that she would want to settle in this beautiful part of West Sussex with its sunken lanes and rolling hills. My parents once used to live even closer to the brewery, at Bexleyhill, some years before I was born! No wonder that I feel so connected with Langham Brewery! As a superannuated wannabe hippie, even the brewery’s beer names resonate with me – LSD first caught my attention years ago - it stands for Langham Special Draught!
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| Langham Brewery Hip Hop |
Draught beer from cask or keg is served in half pint, schooner (2/3 pint) or pint measures. Glassware may be from the brewery or local beer festivals. For schooner measures, Teku glasses with a tulip like bowl and a thin curved lip are used. The long stem prevents your hands from transferring warmth to the beer.
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The hallucinogenic Op art style label for LSD is the work of Gianni
A. Sarcone. LSD is a strong (5.2%) auburn beer
with sweet maltiness and Bramling Cross fruit notes.
The use of a three letter acronym for this beer makes a link with the brewery’s pioneering use of What 3 Words as a geographical location method. The App can identify a spot with three words e.g. ///hence.mute.lizards for Langham Brewery.
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In June 2020, Langham Brewery adopted the ///hence.mute.lizards
brand for an exclusive What3Words range of occasionally brewed beers
like Freedom, a golden ale featuring Citra and Simcoe hops, available
from 1 June 2021.
As well as being a collective name for a group of swallows, The Gulp is the name for a free, new club for Langham Brewery customers. The application form suggests supplying the three words that identify the property to make deliveries easier. The ethically sourced silver birch membership card is posted to applicants and gives a 5% discount on draught beer and 10% off the ‘Beer of the Month’ among other benefits.
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Many awards for the brewery and its beers from CAMRA,
SIBA and beer festivals are on display inside the brewery, visible
from the counter for the shop at the front entrance.
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As it is difficult to sample all the beers on a visit to the Taproom, it is a good idea to take home some beer after a visit. Langham Brewery beers are available in 500ml bottles and can also be supplied in takeaway containers of various sizes. Merchandise like brewery caps and t-shirts are also on sale.
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Bottles of cider from The
Garden Cider Co of Mill House Farm,
Chiddingfold are also available from the shop and taproom. Surrey
Hills Bottling, also based at the farm in
Chiddingfold, are the bottlers for some of the Langham Brewery beers.
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A few days after visiting Langham Brewery I enjoyed a bottle of South
Downs Best Bitter at home.
The Taproom makes a good stopping off point for walkers and cyclists exploring the beautiful countryside of the South Downs National Park.
Pubs near the South Downs Way that serve beers from Langham brewery include the Amberley Black Horse and the White Horse Inn in the village of Sutton,
You can also find Langham’s beers at pubs near the coast like the Shore Inn in East Wittering, Lancing’s Stanley Ale House and the Golden Lion in the Hampshire village of Southwick.
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My
introduction to the Langham Brewery was a visit to the Duke
of Cumberland Arms,
Henley village, with a coach load of CAMRA volunteers who had helped
at Reading Beer and Cider festival. The 16th century hillside pub
with brick floors and a garden with ponds was the brewery’s first
pub customer, stocking Hip Hop initially. This July 2010 late
afternoon
visit had been preceded by a visit to Dark Star Brewery in Partridge
Green and pubs including the Sportsman Inn, Amberley and the
Black Horse Inn, Byworth,
earlier in the day.
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After our Langham Brewery visit we enjoyed a walk along footpaths
near Cowdray
Park Golf Club from the free car park at Benbow
Pond.
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Visit the Langham
Brewery website for more details about the
brewery, beers, events, taproom, shop and brewery tours.
Langham Brewery, The Granary, Langham Lane, Lodsworth, Near Petworth, West Sussex GU28 9BU
Tel. 01798 860861 langhambrewery.co.uk
ADDENDUM (18/5/2021)
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| Photos: Langham Brewery |
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| Photos: Langham Brewery |
There are taps for keg beers behind the bar and handpumps for cask ale on the bar of the Taproom.
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| Photo:Oliver Dixon |
Don't forget to take some Langham Brewery beers home with you!
