Double-Barrelled Brewery have been nominated for a prestigious national award and are "excited" to put Reading on the brewing map.

The brewery on Stadium Way, Reading, has been opened since 2018, and have now been nominated for an award at the SIBA Awards 2022.

The SIBA Awards is a national award ceremony for those in the brewing trade, from the brewing itself to the outlets at which the beer is sold.

Double Barrelled Brewery have been nominated in the UK’s Best Independent Craft Brewery Taproom category.

Speaking exclusively to the Reading Chronicle, co-founder Luci Clayton-Jones is very excited by the nomination.

She said: “It’s really exciting for us as a brewery and as a team. To get national recognition is really awesome. There’s a lot of taprooms out there, in Reading let alone the UK, so it’s really great that Reading’s got somewhere on the map. We’re very proud to be a Reading owned and operated business and we want Reading to become a beer destination. Reading definitely punches above its weight when it comes to the brewery and beer scene so this will only help the businesses that support that.”

 

READ MORE: Reading breweries nominated for 2022 industry awards

 

In its fourth year of existence, the last two years have been extremely challenging with the Covid-19 pandemic impacting the hospitality industry.

Mrs Clayton-Jones believes this is an extra boost for those that have had to work so hard to keep the business going during the difficult period.

She added: “The last two years with Covid have been pretty hard, with our two main routes to market being our taproom and selling to pubs. It’s really good recognition for our team, who have worked really hard to create a welcoming environment for our customers.”

Nominated in the Best Independent Craft Brewery Taproom category, they are up against North Brewing Co. in Leeds; Farm Yard Brew Co. in Lancaster and Abyss Brewing in Lewes.

Reading Chronicle:

Mrs Clayton-Jones believes it is the diverse range of events hosted at the Double-Barrelled taproom that could set them apart.

She explained: “We have a very community-based taproom. We don’t just get beer fans. We do a lot to get beer out to different consumers, so we have stand-up comedy, independent gift markets, jewellery making workshops, floristry, so we do lots of events that bring beer to new consumers. We wanted to create an environment where people felt comfortable enough to stay a while.

“When we first opened, I remember a few customers saying ‘wow, you wouldn’t expect it in the space' we’ve got so we’ve really created a space where people can enjoy the beer and the atmosphere. We have everyone from grandmas to grandkids."