News
Phipps produce a one off Shoemaker's Ale for Northampton shoe company, Jeffery-West
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Phipps NBC are proud to have been asked to produce a limited edition bottle run of Rattliffe's Celebrated Stout to commemorated the life of Northampton musician and poet, Tom Hall. In the 70s and '80s Tom fronted a folk band well known on the national scene, "Ratliffe's Celebrated Stout Band" which toured widely, made four albums and was a regular at festivals up and down the country. Tom went on to put out many other solo and collaborative albums and became a well loved character on the local music scene. He died 10 years ago and a group of friends and admirers have put out a tribute album of his songs covered by local musicians, old and new.
To order a copy see http://www.facebook.com/TomHallMusicianNorthamptonLegend
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Peter Atkinson at The Grainstore Brewery in front of the Fermenting vessels with this years Ratliffe Stout coming along nicely
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Congratulations to The Lamplighter, Northampton, winner of the Pub of the Season award from Northants CAMRA
Autumn 2011
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Let's raise a glass to Eric Blair
His china mugs and stout on draft
Who dreamed the perfect pub one night
A problem shared, a problem halfed
Pickled eggs, handled glass
So drink up boys, drink up!
Drink to Blighty's fallen boozers
Victims of the cheesy chain
The supermarket's slash price pop
The multi-nationals' gruesome reign
Their beer is in our veins
So drink up boys, drink up!
Toast the yellowed rooms of old
Where Orwell supped his suds with friends
A time before the plasma screen
Slow trains rattled round the bends
And stopped at windmill end
Yes, drink up boys, drink up!
Cheers then to The Barley Mow
The Black Buoy, Greyhound, Horse and Dray
The Fat Cat, Woolpack, Rose and Crown
Where life itself would purr and bray
Where I have spent my days
Drink up boys, drink up!
A Poem written for BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live, by Luke Wright, 27/08/2011. Luke is appearing at the Edinburgh fringe this year with a show, Cynical Ballards
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Phipps IPA is going national again this summer, first as part of Carlsberg's tapster's range, then as a guest ale in Waverley's Ember Inns. If you live outside our East Midlands delivery area, look out for or ask for Phipps IPA at pubs with links to either of these companies.
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It is sad to report that we lost two of our ex Phipps NBC Bridge Street men and important supporters towards the end of 2010.
Pat Heron and Tom Whapples both made serious contributions to the revival of Phipps NBC beers and it was an honour to have known them. ___________________________________________________________________
Tom Whapples died on 25th October. Tom was a Bridge Street brewery engineer from 1950 to '56 before receiving his call up to National Service in the RAF. After de-mobbing, he moved to another part of the Phipps family empire, Chamberlain-Phipps in Rushden before moving to South Wales to resume his career in the brewing industry with Whitbread.
His knowledge, experience and encouragement will be greatly missed. In particular Tom was a firm but fair critic of the revived beers; when we got it wrong he let us know, when we got it right his praise was all the more welcome. All of us at Phipps NBC send our condolences to his wife Mary and his family.
Tom Whapples in his P.Phipps days
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During his time in Northampton his passion for cricket led him to play leading roles in a number of local teams including the Brewery XI. On one occasion he even rode through the streets of the town dressed, or un-dressed, as Lady Godiva to raise funds for his local club.
Following the Watney Mann take over of Phipps in 1960, Pat transferred to other breweries within the group. In 1966 he was at Crowleys in Alton before spending time at Tamplins in Brighton.
In 1971 he jumped at the chance to become head brewer for Hall and Woodhouse in Blandford Forum. In the next few years Pat would oversee the re-building of the brewery’s plant. He used his extensive personal contacts within the industry to source the best second hand equipment from the many traditional brewers closing at the time including his former Phipps NBC Brewery.
In professional brewing circles Pat was a famous character, bon vivor and raconteur. Former Phipps and Watney Mann colleague Peter Mauldon wrote;
“My fond memory of Pat is him standing on a table, pint of ale in his hand reciting a Churchill speech to roars of appreciation from the assembled multitude of his fellow brewers. Happy days.”
Pat retired from full time brewing in 1993 but made a significant contribution to the revival of Phipps NBC beers from 2008 onwards. As the senior surviving brewer from the original company, his experience, expertise and time was freely given to help turn the dusty and dry brewing records into living, breathing beers. He ended his life as the honorary head brewer for the company where his long career started.
On 24th December 2010 Pat died peacefully at his home in Blandford Forum after a long illness survived by his wife Eva, daughter Kate and son Patrick. He left behind not only many great memories of a larger than life personality but many great brews that will be enjoyed by generations to come.
Pat Heron at work at the Bridge Street brewery, 1961
Pat in recent times outside his local pub in Blandford Forum
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You can also follow us on Twitter at : http://twitter.com/PhippsNBC and also on Facebook Phipps Nbc
CLASSIC BREWERY FOOTAGE You can watch a 1960's film of the Phipps NBC brewery on YOU TUBE simply click the links below
Part 1 (9 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-aKJLIhu1M
Part 2 (10 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKwC3g946BU
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Phipps Beer on prime time TV : See more under our Events section
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Behind the Mask -1979 - The Celebrated Ratliffe Stout Band LP cover included the famous Phipps NBC Star as well as old Phipps Beer labels in the windows.
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The Stags Head at Maidwell annouce Phipps IPA Steak & Ale goes down great with their customers featuring on their new menu : 23/10/10
The rise of the microbrewery has implications for other sectors of the economy, researcher finds
Offered a choice between the products of the grape and the hop, Peter Swann admits that he would go for wine every time. But in his capacity as professor of industrial economics at Nottingham University, he has become fascinated by the workings of the brewing industry, and the phenomenal spread of microbreweries in particular, helped in no small measure by tax breaks from Gordon Brown when he was chancellor. The result is a new paper called The Fall and Rise of the Local Brew – a heartening tale, he believes, with implications for other sectors of the economy.
"The lesson here is that the trend towards ever stronger concentrations of production and distribution is not unstoppable," he says. "There are parallels, for instance, with the food industry, where small-scale producers have emerged to meet a growing demand for quality and diversity from more discerning consumers."
With beer, the formation of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) in 1971 would eventually prove to be the key turning point, he believes. Camra grew quickly from a gathering of disgruntled drinkers around a pub table to become what "has been described as the most successful consumer pressure group ever formed", Swann says. "It is arguable that Camra was unable to stop the progress of consolidation and standardisation among the largest brewers. But it was very successful in educating an increasing number of beer drinkers about the finer points of 'real ale' and the pleasures of regional diversity."
The number of breweries in England fell from 1,324 in 1900 to 141 in 1975. But by 2004, numbers had risen again to 480 – "roughly the same figure as in 1939," Swann points out. "I don't have figures beyond that but, from what I gather, the number is now closer to 700."
It is not known what percentage of these microbreweries are "hobby businesses", run by two people in a large shed and doing little more than breaking even. But a mile or two down the road from Swann's offices, the fledgling Castle Rock Brewery recently opened a new plant, enabling it to triple its production to meet burgeoning demand after its Harvest Pale was voted champion beer at this year's Great British Beer Festival. The brewery now owns 23 pubs, delivers to over 100 more and has nearly 300 employees.
Its founder, Chris Holmes, was national chair of Camra back in 1975-76, making him a useful source of first-hand information for the professor. At the time, Nottingham bucked the national trend insofar as it had three independent brewers. Many other cities and towns had seen their local brews gulped down and swallowed up by Camra's arch-enemies: the so-called Big Six conglomerates that delivered to the nation's drinkers such delights as Watney's Red Barrel and Double Diamond.
These national brands had come about from the search for economies of scale, Swann reminds us. "Two essential factors that enabled concentration of production were the reduction in transport costs and a technical change in brewing that made the product more easily transportable." Brewery-conditioned beer was biologically "dead", but chemically stable. Unlike real ale, which continues to ferment in the cask, keg beer has been filtered, chilled and pasteurised. It could be stored for much longer and delivered anywhere in the country, where added carbon dioxide would bring it back to some sort of life.
"The reaction to mediocre draught beer during and after the second world war had helped to build the momentum behind national keg brands," Swann points out. "Far from real ale at its best, as we see it today, some draught beers then could be cloudy, full of sediment and unpleasant to drink." Others, though, were highly regarded by their aficionados and it was these smaller, regional companies that Camra set out to champion even as they were disappearing.
The pressure group was perhaps more successful in denigrating brands such as Red Barrel and Double Diamond to the extent that they were eventually boycotted by discerning drinkers. Major brewers reacted by acknowledging real ale as a niche market while moving away from mass-produced and heavily advertised keg ales and into mass produced and heavily advertised keg lager. "These companies spend a lot of money on advertising because it works for them," says Swann. "Who is more likely to buy Carling Black Label [the country's biggest-selling brew] than someone who is responsive to advertising?"
They are not the ones, needless to say, the burgeoning microbreweries are out to woo. "They are targeting consumers who choose something because it's distinctive," Swann confirms. The Big Six, meanwhile, have evolved into even bigger international conglomerates. And major regional brewers have grown fatter by swallowing smaller companies and producing their brands in-house. "They mimic the concept of the 'late configuration centre' used in car plants," Swann explains. "Just as motor companies add on to the same production line features for more expensive models, so the brewers make use of a number of versatile post-fermentation techniques to produce a variety of end-products from a single brewing run."
Of the three independent brewers that existed in Nottingham in the 70s, two have been closed down and the products of another are brewed by Greene King in Bury St Edmonds. But perhaps it's a sign of the times that the city had six microbreweries at the last count, as well as Castle Rock.
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Classic Brewery Film still shots
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May - June 10
May 2nd 1935 saw Northamptonshire & the whole country celebrating the Silver Jubilee. Phipps & NBC beers were enjoyed as they are today !
Click the above images to download full size versions
March /April 10
Photos, James Rudd Mike Henson who was chief chemist for Phipps from 1964 pulling the first pint at 12 noon on today Follow James Rudd's Towcester news on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/towcesternews | Phipps Ales Back in Towcester It is National Cask Ale Week between 29th March and 5th April and to celebrate The Folly Inn in Towcester will have 4 cask ales on all week! These ales will include some Phipps beers which they are delighted to be bringing back to Towcester after many years. To mark the occasion Mike Henson who was chief chemist for Phipps from 1964 will be pulling the first pint at 12noon on 29th March, John Morris, chairman of the Towcester History Society will also be in attendance. During the week Phipps IPA and Phipps Red Star Bitter will both be served. In 1801 Pickering Phipps began brewing in Towcester opening a second brewery in Northampton in 1817. After a fire gutted the original building in 1900, brewing was concentrated in Northampton. Watney Mann took control in 1960 and over the next 13 years Phipps’ brewery and beers were rationalised out of existence to make way for Carlsberg. In 2004, a former S+N director took control of the dormant company and began research into its original beers. A band of former Phipps brewers were assembled and the recipes passed to Grainstore’s Tony Davis in Oakham who trained under the last Phipps head brewer. Phipps returned in December 2008 and has enjoyed great success since.
The first pint in an Old Folly glass, pulled by Mike Henson - commentin, "Its got a lovely head" |
We met with Chris Scoggins from Wellingborough recently and were kindly invited to see his massive collection of bottles and flagons he has amassed over 30 years of digging in Northamptonshire.
December 09 - Feb 10
Well done Tony & Will click image for full version
Our thanks go out to the draught Stockists for the launch of Ratliffe's Stout :
Red Lion Stathern, Chandler's Arms Lutterworth, Grainstore Oakham, Green Man Stamford, Hit & Miss Stamford, Bluebell Inn Helpston, Pirnce of Wales Feathers Caistor, Queens Head Sutton Bassett, Kingscliffe ex Servicemens Club Kingscliffe, Alexander Arms Kettering, Rowell Charter Rothwell, RHTS Rushden, Coach & Horses Wellingborough, Rose & Crown Yadley Hastings, Golden Horse Northampton, Malt Shovel Northampton and Sun Inn Kislingbury
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So here it is our new beer !!!! We can confirm the rumours that we are to launch Ratliffe's Celebrated Stout 4.3% in December for our 1st year anniversary.This may be a limited run for December so get your orders in early.More information will be available shortly but due to numerous requests we will make it available in 500ml bottles as well.Always wholesome, strong and true"A Potted History
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Evening Telegraph & Chroncile Echo Dec 09 click images to download full versions
Real ale fans can Celebrate
Brewing brothers Alaric and Quentin Neville will launch the latest of their revived historic beers after shifting half-a-million pints of their first ale.
Last year the brothers, who own Phipps Northampton Brewery Company (NBC), relaunched the famous Northamptonshire ale Phipps IPA, 40 years after it was last brewed.
The brothers, who were born in Rushden, had such a success with the revival of the historic beer that they relaunched a second ale, the Red Star bitter.
Now, a year after they bought the company, they will be launching their third product, the legendary Ratliffe's Celebrated Stout.
Alaric said: "We started with IPA and then moved onto Red Star. We have had quite a few emails asking about Ratliffe stout so we thought we would try it out.
"The IPA has been stunningly successful. We have sold about half- a-million pints in the past year and Red Star has also done well.
"I think it is because it is a good brew with a good story. It is a taste from the past.
"This all started off as a bit of a hobby and we had no idea it would go this far, but as long as people keep asking, we will keep brewing."
The old Northampton brewery of Ratliffe and Jeffrey was taken over by Phipps in 1899, although Mr Ratliffe stayed on with the company to oversee the continued brewing of his famous stout.
By the end of the 1930s, Ratliffe's Celebrated Stout had replaced Phipps's own brews as the main stout in the range.
After the merger with NBC in 1957, the joint stout was known as Ratliffe's Jumbo Stout and later Phipps Jumbo Stout.
This was the last Phipps brand to be brewed by new owners Watney Mann, finally bowing out in 1972.
The starting point for reviving this long-lost brew was authentic brewer's records dating back some 80 years. It has been brewed in Grainstore in Oakham by masterbrewer Tony Davis.
Ratliffe's Celebrated Stout is a "creamy, full-bodied malty brew, satisfyingly rich with distinct caramel and coffee notes".
It will be officially relaunched on December 5 and locations will be announced in the Evening Telegraph shortly.
The Morning Advertiser 24 November 2009
Brewing brothers Alaric and Quentin Neville will launch the latest of their revived historic beers after shifting half-a-million pints of their first ale.
Last year the brothers, who own Phipps Northampton Brewery Company (NBC), relaunched the famous Northamptonshire ale Phipps IPA, 40 years after it was last brewed.
The brothers, who were born in Rushden, had such a success with the revival of the historic beer that they relaunched a second ale, the Red Star bitter.
Now, a year after they bought the company, they will be launching their third product, the legendary Ratliffe's Celebrated Stout.
Alaric said: "We started with IPA and then moved onto Red Star. We have had quite a few emails asking about Ratliffe stout so we thought we would try it out.
"The IPA has been stunningly successful. We have sold about half- a-million pints in the past year and Red Star has also done well.
"I think it is because it is a good brew with a good story. It is a taste from the past.
"This all started off as a bit of a hobby and we had no idea it would go this far, but as long as people keep asking, we will keep brewing."
The old Northampton brewery of Ratliffe and Jeffrey was taken over by Phipps in 1899, although Mr Ratliffe stayed on with the company to oversee the continued brewing of his famous stout.
By the end of the 1930s, Ratliffe's Celebrated Stout had replaced Phipps's own brews as the main stout in the range.
After the merger with NBC in 1957, the joint stout was known as Ratliffe's Jumbo Stout and later Phipps Jumbo Stout.
This was the last Phipps brand to be brewed by new owners Watney Mann, finally bowing out in 1972.
The starting point for reviving this long-lost brew was authentic brewer's records dating back some 80 years. It has been brewed in Grainstore in Oakham by masterbrewer Tony Davis.
Ratliffe's Celebrated Stout is a "creamy, full-bodied malty brew, satisfyingly rich with distinct caramel and coffee notes".
It will be officially relaunched on December 5 and locations will be announced in the Evening Telegraph shortly.
Northants Camra " Over the barrel" magazine Nov/ Dec 09Published Date: Evening Telegraph 24 November 2009
By Zara Gaspar Rushden reporter
click to download full version
A Phipps Beers key supporter wins Regional Camra award
Rushden Historical transport society social club is awarded the Camra
( Campaign for real ale ) Regional Club of the year 2009 presenting the award on behalf of Camra is Mr Julian Tubbs -Regional Director.
Over the years the club has won numerous awards for its hospitality, atmosphere and Real ale we are very pleased to be given this latest award which will be displayed in the club
Congratulations to Simon and the team
click to download full version
The Stag's Head Maidwell Advert who start selling both Phipps Beers from October.
Email from Rob Willougby Landlord at the Stag's 13/10/09"Sold out IPA in 9 hours!!!!!! Red Star on and a bit Slower but still very positive feedback".
If you stock Phipps Beers and want a bespoke advert producing let us know.
The Bell Inn Finedon
Congratulations to Dennis who celebrates 40 years at the Bell at Finedon on August Bank Holiday. Dennis has to be one of the longest serving publicans in the county and remembers Phipps NBC beers as he actually sold them ! He has a great collection of bottles and jugs worth seeing in the pub. Oh and he is a permanent stockist of Phipps IPA so the beer good as well. Dennis kindly gave us a Cornation NBC jug for our collection recently.
Congratulations to Dennis who celebrates 40 years at the Bell at Finedon on August Bank Holiday. Dennis has to be one of the longest serving publicans in the county and remembers Phipps NBC beers as he actually sold them ! He has a great collection of bottles and jugs worth seeing in the pub. Oh and he is a permanent stockist of Phipps IPA so the beer good as well. Dennis kindly gave us a Cornation NBC jug for our collection recently.
Downloads
We have added various downloads to the site which you can access .
Some files require Adobe reader which can be download free http//get.adobe.com/uk/reader/.
Phipps Brewery Pale Ale Poster Kingsley Park Hotel / White Elephant N'pton NBC Off License
Click the Star to Download
The History of Phipps NBC a 17 Page brochure from our history section with added material
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Phipps IPA A4 poster Red Star Pump Clip Phipps NBC IPA Banner May 09 Leaflet Red Star 1
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May 09 Leaflet Red Star 2 Dec 08 Launch Leaflet Press Launch Dec 08 July 08 Pre Launch Leaflet
Press
Nottingham Drinker Readers.
We are pleased that the Nottingham Drinker Magazine acknowledged our issue with the article in a previous edition .
Quoting from Dec / Jan edition
"The caption under the image of your pump clip "Phipps - Phake beers" did not actually come from the author of the article and was perhaps an unfortunate choice of words"
Our issue was the use of the word "Phake" in regard of our beers, hence we consider the matter closed. As regards the author of the article itself we therefore retract any compliants we had made to him ( we did pass on our details to him to contact and discuss the matter several weeks prior to the publication but did not get a response).
In terms of where our Beer is brewed for the record there are over 10 references to Grainstore in this site should you wish to count them.
Northants Camra Magazine Over the Barrel May 09
The Leicester Big Session Programme May 09
click to download full size version
Heading back to the past – again for Phipps beer
Chroncile & Echo 2nd May 09
A second variety of the historic Northamptonshire Phipps beer has been revived after the India Pale Ale (IPA) proved to be a resounding success with beer drinkers in the county. Phipps NBC Red Star bitter was officially relaunched at The Romany in Kingsley, Northampton, yesterday, just five months after Phipps IPA was brought back into production. Alaric Neville, who has worked with his brother Quentin to revive the Phipps beer, was joined by 99-year-old Charles Robinson, who worked as a brewer for NBC for 25 years, until he lost his job when Phipps merged with NBC in 1957.
Mr Neville said the Phipps IPA had enjoyed outstanding success since its relaunch in December and is now sold in more than 100 outlets in the East Midlands. He said: "It all started with the Chronicle & Echo article last year. "After that I had lots of people asking me about Phipps. We started with the IPA and I did not know whether it would be a flash in the pan or whether it would take off. "I am absolutely stunned by the success of the beer. It is a mixture of a great story and a local legend."
Mr Robinson, who lives in Spencer, Northampton, said: "I never expected to see the NBC beer come back again. I don't think there is anything better than a local beer." Alaric and Quentin Neville have teamed up with Paul McManus, owner of the McManus pub company to supply the Phipps NBC Red Star bitter, which has been made using the original recipe from 50 years ago, to pubs in the county. The new beer will be available in a number of pubs in Northampton including the Fox and Hounds in Kingsthorpe, The Brampton Halt in Chapel Brampton, and the Sir Pickering Phipps in Wellingborough Road.
Evening Telegraph 18 April 2009 by Zara Gaspar
A brewery is raising a glass to its success after thirsty punters supped more than 60,000 pints of a historic county ale in just five months. The brew has been such a hit with drinkers that the company has now decided to launch another real ale.
Alaric and Quentin Neville from of Phipps Northampton Brewery Company re-launched Phipps IPA 40 years after it was last brewed and have been staggered by its success. They wanted to give people a second chance to taste the beer which was once a firm favourite. By the end of March the company had sold 62,696 pints of the beer – an average of 400 pints each day – and the figures are still rising. Alaric Neville said: "It has been five months since our relaunch at The Rushden Station Bar in December. "The beer, brewed by the Grainstore in Oakham, has been a resounding success, with Phipps returning to most of its former sales area and beyond, from Wisbech to Warwick and from Nottingham to Milton Keynes. "It has appeared as a guest beer in over 100 of the region's freehouses and uniquely for a new independent beer, has become the regular cask ale at a number of pubs mainly in Northamptonshire. "It has been successful beyond our imagination and has done so much better than we ever expected."Phipps IPA has been such a success that the owners have now decided to relaunch their second historical brew, Red Star bitter.
The darker, nutty red bitter will be launched at Rushden Historical Transport Cavalcade on May Day. As for the future, the company is selling everything it can brew and if its success continues the Neville brothers will have to build a bigger brewery.
Not only are they relaunching Red Star, but they are moving into bottled beer because of the high demand. Wellingborough brewing historian Mike Brown is also preparing a book on Phipps that will mix its history with personal recollections from former employees. This should be on sale in time for Christmas. Mr Neville said: "It has been great to see Phipps become the traditional pint of choice in the area I grew up in. In some way it feels as though we've turned back the hands of time. Many people have asked us to brew their favourite beer from Phipps NBC's past so who knows where we will go from here?" David Fursdon, a member of the Northamptonshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale said: "The new Phipps IPA is very good. "Real ale certainly seems to be bucking the trend at the moment. I think there is credit owed to the brothers and we should applaud them for taking the recipe forward so now people can taste the beers again. "It has paved the way for even more traditional beers to come back." Visit www.phipps-nbc.co.uk.
| RED STAR BITTER The NBC beer mat to the left is from 1952 and includes the "Radiates Good Cheer" slogan.
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99 year old former NBC brewer Charles Robinson is looking forward to tasting his first pint of NBC in nearly half a century. Charles is seen here with two of his NBC cellar thermometers, souvenirs from his time with the company in the 1950s.
We were delighted to host Charles at the Romay launch of Red Star.
Fifty years ago, the 1959 Budget reduced beer duty as this Phipps NBC notice to its landlords records. "We have pleasure in advising you that we are reducing the prices of our beers" is a phrase we sadly can't repeat today as needless to say, 2009's budget has increased the duty yet again.
click image for full version
Ember Inns National Distribution Phipps IPA appeared in M+B's Ember Inns in February, more information can be found at www.emberinns.co.uk including ( see below ).
Fifty years ago, the 1959 Budget reduced beer duty as this Phipps NBC notice to its landlords records. "We have pleasure in advising you that we are reducing the prices of our beers" is a phrase we sadly can't repeat today as needless to say, 2009's budget has increased the duty yet again.
click image for full version
Phipps IPA appeared in M+B's Ember Inns in February, more information can be found at www.emberinns.co.uk including ( see below ).
Phipps launch
Evening Telegraph 15th Dec 2008
John Neville drinks his first pint of Phipps for over 40 years click image for full version
click image to download full version
Extract from : Chroncle & Echo 8th December 2008
The Launch Night at Sir Pickering Phipps Pub
Phipps IPA was re-launched on 7th December 2008, 40 years, 6 months since it was last brewed
Caroline Teunissen, Mike Henson, Ann Phipps Reybould, John Clipston, Mayor Brian Markham, Mayoresse Irene Markham and Alaric Neville with the first round of Phipps IPA at the Sir Pickering Phipps
| Descendants of the legendary brewer whose firm, Phipps Northampton Brewery Company (NBC), was bought out by Watney Mann in 1960, were among the first to get a taste of the recreated ale. Ann Phipps, who flew in from Cyprus to raise a glass to the memory of her great-great-great grandfather, said: "The Phipps family is always very proud of our name and it's so thrilling that they have started the Phipps beer again. I think it tastes jolly good and it's a lovely colour." |
Caroline Teunissen, of the youngest generation in the family, came across the launch by accident after spotting a website set up by brothers Alaric and Quentin Neville, who have made it their project to bring back Phipps beer. She said: "I'm blown away. It has always been a part of our family history and it's lovely. We're going to organise a Phipps family reunion and call out for the Phipps to come to Northampton to celebrate it. It really is superb to see something old come back to life."
Caroline Teunissen, of the youngest generation in the family, came across the launch by accident after spotting a website set up by brothers Alaric and Quentin Neville, who have made it their project to bring back Phipps beer. She said: "I'm blown away. It has always been a part of our family history and it's lovely. We're going to organise a Phipps family reunion and call out for the Phipps to come to Northampton to celebrate it. It really is superb to see something old come back to life."
Local CAMRA stalwart, Mick Bolshaw talks with Gary and Paul McManus | The Nevilles have teamed up with Paul McManus, of McManus Pub Company, to roll the ale out to pubs across the county to test the demand for more Phipps products. Alaric said: "It's a great Northampton icon and that brings back a little bit of character in this sad world where every high street is the same. It's going to be on sale up to Christmas and if people like it and people buy it, we'll bring more beers back. |
Mike Henson, Ann Phipps and John Clipston at the launch
The orders are flooding in because everybody in the county remembers it." He said the recipe was all down to Michael Henson, 72, chief chemist for Phipps and later Carlsberg, who kept the formula from his time at the brewery, as well as master brewer Tony Davis and brewers clerk John Clipston
Mike Henson, Ann Phipps and John Clipston at the launch
The orders are flooding in because everybody in the county remembers it." He said the recipe was all down to Michael Henson, 72, chief chemist for Phipps and later Carlsberg, who kept the formula from his time at the brewery, as well as master brewer Tony Davis and brewers clerk John Clipston
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The Mayor of Northampton, Brian Markham, pulls the first pint
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PRESS RELEASE: SIR PICKERING PHIPPS
A pub named after a famous Northamptonshire brewer has turned back the clock to mark its 10th anniversary. Owners, McManus Pub Co, have teamed up with Phipps NBC to re-launch the famous Northampton beer “Phipps IPA”. This traditional draught beer was last seen in the region’s pubs in 1968 but has been faithfully recreated with the help of a gallant band of surviving Phipps brewers. The first pint was pulled at the Sir Pickering Phipps at 6.30pm Sunday 7th December by the Mayor of Northampton for Ann Phipps, Pickering Phipps' great great great grand daughter. The beer will also be sold at the Northamptonshire pub company’s other outlets in the town, including Fox & Hounds, The Sun, Brampton Halt, Foundryman’s Arms and the Romany. In the weeks that follow Phipps IPA will start appearing at other free houses in the region.
A pub named after a famous Northamptonshire brewer has turned back the clock to mark its 10th anniversary. Owners, McManus Pub Co, have teamed up with Phipps NBC to re-launch the famous Northampton beer “Phipps IPA”. This traditional draught beer was last seen in the region’s pubs in 1968 but has been faithfully recreated with the help of a gallant band of surviving Phipps brewers. The first pint was pulled at the Sir Pickering Phipps at 6.30pm Sunday 7th December by the Mayor of Northampton for Ann Phipps, Pickering Phipps' great great great grand daughter. The beer will also be sold at the Northamptonshire pub company’s other outlets in the town, including Fox & Hounds, The Sun, Brampton Halt, Foundryman’s Arms and the Romany. In the weeks that follow Phipps IPA will start appearing at other free houses in the region.
In May the Chronicle and Echo ran a story on the anniversary of the last Phipps IPA.
