Mel visited the Exe Valley Brewery today as part of a new initiative launched by the Society of Independent Brewers aimed at increasing awareness of how small breweries across the country operate. Mel visited the business as part of the scheme and was able to mark the occasion by filling some of the first barrels of the brewery’s award winning ‘Winter Glow’. Having visited the brewery previously in 2012 and 2013 Mr Stride was also able to talk to the owners about what progress they felt the government had made since then and how the business is doing with a more positive economy.
Mr Stride said: “The Exe Valley brewery is a fantastic local business and I was very pleased to be able to visit them again today. I commend the work that the Society of Independent Brewers are doing nationwide to promote the great smaller breweries we have across the country and will do everything I can to keep supporting them in parliament.”
Guy Shepperd, who currently runs the brewery, added: “I’m really pleased to see Mel continuing to be involved with pubs and the brewing industry as a whole in Devon. Raising awareness of how the trade works is important especially for smaller breweries like us where a small team is putting a lot of work in to create a great product.”
The Exe Valley Brewery produces six permanent beers and is also currently making Autumn Glory and Winter Glow, two seasonal beers. Originally set up in 1984 with a small capacity and just one person working there it is now able to produce over 17000 pints a week with a larger staff. Mr Stride’s support of the brewing and pub industry was recognised earlier this year with a special award for standing up for pubs in the autumn budget of 2013, stopping the exponential growth of taxes on the industry.
