Beer quality ‘stamp of approval’ for Hogs Back Brewery Tap

The Hogs Back Brewery Tap is proudly displaying its new Cask Marque plaque after passing the beer quality organisation’s rigorous inspection earlier this summer.

The Brewery Tap first opened last summer, initially in a converted hop hangar overlooking the hop garden. The adjacent building, originally the hop kiln, was added in the autumn, and the combined space now offers seating for 500+guests to enjoy Hogs Back’s brewery-fresh beers, wood-fired pizzas and a busy programme of live music and comedy.

The Cask Marque accreditation was welcomed by Hogs Back’s MD Rupert Thompson, who was one of the beer quality body’s founders in 1997. He said: “Serving our beers in top condition is fundamental to the Brewery Tap offer: customers come here to drink our beers close to where they’re brewed, confident that they are going to taste just as the brewer intended.

“The Brewery Tap team, led by Rosie Robinson, have been on top of the routines, such as line cleaning, required to ensure consistent beer quality, and our reward is the Cask Marque plaque. We’re delighted to be displaying it as a ‘stamp of approval’, assuring customers about the beers served inside.”

All pints of cask ale served in the Brewery Tap are poured through handpulls rather than direct from the barrel, which is the more usual practice in brewery bars. Cask beers include Hogs Back’s flagship ale TEA (Traditional English Ale), Surrey Nirvana and seasonals such as Three Hogs, brewed for the Euros tournament.

Two decades ago, as brands and brewing director of Oxfordshire brewer Morland, Thompson was part of the small group that founded Cask Marque to address beer quality concerns. He said, “Since helping to establish Cask Marque in 1997, I’ve been part of the movement to improve the quality of draught beer in pubs and bars.

“There’s no doubt that standards now are higher than they were, meaning more drinkers are enjoying a pint of beer served as it should be - and are therefore more likely to order another. This is good news for drinkers, licensees and brewers, and I’m proud both to have been there at the start, and to continue to work to consistently serve great tasting, high quality cask beer.”

Paul Nunny, Cask Marque co-founder, said, “It gave us particular pleasure to present Hogs Back Brewery with a Cask Marque plaque, given Rupert’s contribution to the scheme’s success.

“The Cask Marque plaque is now recognised by 77% of UK consumers as a guarantee of good beer, and many now use the CaskFinder App when choosing a pub to visit. When a group of people go out, it’s often the cask ale enthusiast who chooses the venue, so the Brewery Tap will now be on their list.”

The Hogs Back Brewery Tap is open: Thursday and Friday from 5pm - 10.00pm, Saturday from 12pm - 4:30pm and 5.30pm - 10pm (2 bookable sessions) and Sunday from 12pm - 5pm. Guests can reserve a table for up to 6 people, costing £14 to include a Snorter – a 3.5 pint refillable glass flagon – of any draught beer or cider. There are also plenty of tables for customers to walk-up for without needing to book in advance. You can now book a table for the first 2 weekends of September where you will be able to see the hop harvest taking place whilst you enjoy your drinks. Throughout this time the Hangar will be closed with the hop picking machines being in operation so capacity will be limited.

For more information and details of upcoming music and comedy events, visit: https://shop.hogsback.co.uk/collections/club-and-subscriptions/products/bar-table-booking-1