News

Great Shropshire Beer from the Wood Brewery
25 Feb 2021

Over 40 years ago the Wood Brewery was founded by the Wood family in the former stables of the Plough Inn, in the South Shropshire village of Wistanstow.

Wood's was one of the founding members of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and a firm supporter of CAMRA – the campaign for real ale. At a time when there was a surge of keg beer companies flooding the market and threatening the existence of traditional English ale, Wood’s championed the traditionally brewed product and ensured it remained a firm favourite in the county.

Wood's has been at the forefront of Shropshire brewing since then and continues to be after it was taken over by new owners in 2018. The new owners have worked with the existing team to make a range of impactful and progressive changes to the brewing process and quality control, to ensure that Wood’s beer is of the highest possible quality. By continuing to make consistent and innovative products, the brewery can remain successful in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

The changes have also included a brand update, with new logo and an overhaul of the Wood's aesthetic seen in their pubs. Alongside their famous flagship ales, Shropshire Lad and Shropshire Lass, Wood's have launched a range of new beers for the region and beyond.

One of the new beers - Take 5 - was launched following a people's vote at Shropshire Oktoberfest, attended by 10,000 people. The five hops used to create it made for a winning formula, creating a smooth, floral IPA with citrus notes.

To mark their 40th anniversary last year, the Wood's team rebrewed their first ever beer - Wood's Special Bitter. The brewers dug up the old recipe, which was first produced in 1980, and got to work locating the original ingredients - sourcing Goldings hops from Nettlestead in Kent and Mittelfruh from Germany. The commemorative ale features the original design, and it can be purchased from Wood's online shop for a limited time.

For over 40 years Wood's has stood for quality, real ale. They carefully select natural raw ingredients, attentively hand brew the beers and faithfully deliver the finished product to the network of pubs and shops who sell their quality beers.

The pandemic has hit Shropshire's breweries and pubs very hard, so as we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel with lockdown restrictions easing, we urge you to keep supporting our fantastic local breweries, like Wood's.

Visit their website at www.woodbrewery.co.uk.