Family-owned Shropshire brewery which pays tribute to the heritage and history of making local beer

Breweries have been a part of the region for centuries, providing the welcoming aroma of hops and yeast in the air across the region and many different types of beer loved by thousands.

In the wake of the news of the planned closure of Banks's Brewery in Wolverhampton, the Star wants to support our local breweries and show that there are still many out there producing quality beers to be enjoyed in pubs across the region.

As part of our Backing Our Breweries campaign, we are going to look at what different breweries do, how they grew and built up their reputation, what their products are, how they continue to run in what are difficult financial times and what makes them special.

It started out as a hobby between a husband and wife who really loved their beer and wanted to make something that fit their tastes.

Gary and Alison Walters had been homebrewing beer in the garage at their home in Ludlow, using professional standard equipment to make their beer, when they started to think about brewing on a greater scale.

The history of brewing in Ludlow and the great South Shropshire area was one which had started in medieval times and had lasted until the closure of the Ludlow and Craven Arms Brewery in the 1930s and Mr Walters said he and his wife had thought about bringing back that heritage in 2006.

He said: "We were a husband and wife team who were just really into our beers and were brewing at home and we really thought it would be great if Ludlow could revive its brewing tradition again.

"The town is very well known for its food and drink and we just thought it would be great to have a beer on every bar in Ludlow.

"We just starting working on it with a lot of enthusiasm, particularly with the process, and we were brewing some very good stuff at home with a fully mashed brew and boiling with hops and we just couldn't see why it couldn't be done on a slightly bigger and more commercial scale."

The couple officially started Ludlow Brewery in 2006 in a disused maltings building on Corve Street, then after the business was found to have outgrown the premises, they were given the opportunity to move to a derelict Victorian railway shed near Ludlow Railway Station, which they renovated over two years.

The project was supported with financial assistance from the Rural Development Programme for England and the EU, plus a Shropshire Tourism Business Grant funded by Shropshire Council and after a 20-barrel brewing system was installed, Ludlow Brewing Company was capable of producing more than 30,000 pints a week.

Mr Walters said the process had not changed since the first brew in 2006 of the multi-award-winning flagship beer Gold, which is widely known as “Ludlow Gold” and which he said was the standout for the brewery.

He said: "I think it's a traditional pale beer which has got a beautiful hue and it's got local ingredients and Goldings in it, and it's amazing to have those old noble variety hop.

"It speaks of Ludlow, which is a fantastic place to live, and the popularity of the beer has built up organically since we started brewing it, with our taproom The Railway Hub being a vibrant community hub, and a popular live music venue and events space."

The brewery has enjoyed a gradual expansion over time, from the taproom and visitor centre in 2011 to the addition of a separate cold storage shed in 2015 to accommodate an increase in production and a new balcony on the front of the building being added in 2022.

Mr Walters said the brewery was a family affair, with his daughters Nell and Molly working in the brewery alongside himself and his wife, and was something he was very proud of.

He said: "After all this time, it's still very special to me and it's a big part of my family, especially with our two daughters working here, which is just the cherry on the cake.

"It's become a family affair and is my life and my love."

Ludlow Brewery's best beers

Blonde 4% 

Blonde is Ludlow Brewery's award-winning take on the classic American-style IPA. A fruity blend of exotic hops from all the world combine to create this hop-forward delight. Citrus and vibrant floral aromas are meticulously balanced with the full-bodied and crisp flavours of the finest English Maris Otter barley malt.

Black Knight 4.5%

Black Knight is a perfectly balanced hybrid stout / ruby porter with lightly toasted German malts which mix on top of the finest English Maris Otter barley malts to create this creamy and sweet dark ale. Carefully selected Goldings hops grown locally by Brook House Farm, Bromyard complete Black Knight with gentle and delicate honey aromas.