Ale trail celebrates Dudley brewery's centenary

Holden's Brewery, Dudley, is challenging its punters to get a round in at each of its pubs in and around the Black Country.

The real ale trail will be launched in the spring as the Woodsetton-based brewery kicks-off a range of events to mark its 100th anniversary in 2015.

Drinkers who complete the tour of the firm's 20 tenanted pubs will be able to swap their completed ale trail cards for Holden's centenary memorabilia.

The family-run brewery will also host tours which will run from February.

The brewery's centenary year comes as an expansion of its site nears completion.

A new tank room, due to be completed in 2015, will increase capacity at the Sedgley Road West site by 50 per cent.

Bosses say this has been made possible thanks to the boom in the real ale trade.

One of the stops on the Holden's tour will be the Rose and Crown, Brierley Hill, where landlord Mark Pritchard believes the idea will drum up interest in the area.

"It's a popular brewery around here. This pub is still a busy little pub and I do think it will make a difference," he said.

"Round here it is a real ale area, it's so popular, especially when they bring out their own monthly ones. They tend to go down really well. I think the tour is a really good idea."

Francis Britton, who runs The Wheatsheaf, Carter's Green, West Bromwich, believes the tour could come as a major boost.

"Anything that gets more people in is a good idea. Hopefully this can help. All pubs need more customers at the moment and anything that increases the likelihood of people coming in is good," she said.

"Ale is a good seller. The pub is known for having real ale. Locally it does well."

Despite the bleak outlook for the industry – which has seen pubs continue to disappear from Black Country streets – Holden's has been able to buck the trend and invest in the future.

When the expansion is complete, ale production will increase from 50,000 pints a week to 75,000.

The extension has been built at the rear of the site in George Street and will see extra fermentation tanks installed.

A new bottle store was completed in 2012.

When the plans were revealed, managing director Jonathan Holden said: "There has been a resurgence in the popularity of ales in recent time and this has been a massive benefit to us. This expansion is necessary for us to build on the business."

Along with the extension, the historic Black Country brewer will also allow people a glimpse at the work which goes on behind the scenes in Woodsetton.

The development of a visitor centre is under way, with the first tours to begin as the firm celebrates its centenary.

It is hoped that the ale trail, which will see customers take in Holden's pubs stretching from Codsall to Ironbridge, will increase both sales in the pubs and the number of visitors to the brewery.

Mr Holden believes a genuine interest in the industry among people in the area will make the tours popular.

"We are a local company nearly 100 years old, which people are quite interested in," he said.

"People like to see what goes on behind the walls of the brewery. The product is selling well and there is an interest to see how it is made from start to finish."

But as the firm looks ahead to what bosses are confident will be a prosperous future, they are keen not to lose the links to their past and 100 years of brewing history.

Information panels containing key points on the brewery's history will line the walls of the visitor centre so visitors can get to grips with Holden's refreshing past.