Beer. It’s great isn’t it? Whether it’s a lovely crisp golden lager, a hoppy IPA or a luscious barrel aged imperial stout. Whatever your favourite style (and there’s lots) we can all agree that we all love a good beer. The beer industry in the UK is growing and growing and growing. According to Camra’s Good Beer Guide 204 breweries have opened in the UK last year and the now has over 1400 breweries providing us hop heads with (*does quick calculation*) a lot of beer. But how does one get hold of this beer? Well that’s where I come in. I plan to open up a den of a beery goodness dedicated to bringing you the best of the UK and (if all goes well) eventually the rest of the world, but let’s start with the UK first, whether it comes in bottle, can or cask (yes I plan to have some casks for growler fills) as long as it’s awesome I’ll sell it. And it doesn’t stop at beer, how can any self respecting beer emporium ignore cider, especially a one the plies it’s trade in Kent. Whilst the selection of cider won’t be as vast as the beers I still want to feature some local cider makers and maybe a select few from elsewhere in the UK.
With your help I want to bring my idea for a destination beer shop to life and also bring something a little bit different to a high street that is made up of coffee shops and hair dressers. Don’t get me wrong, I love Rochester High Street but I have no hair and prefer tea so I don’t spend much time wandering around there. I want to make this shop a place where people will come and visit and then go on to other parts of Rochester and enjoy what they have to offer, grab some ribs at Stannys Smokehouse, relax in the Vines or Rochester Castle Gardens with a coffee and cake from Brunos, pop into the Man of Kent for a pint.
I want this to be a community beer shop, I want to involve the locals as much as possible. If I need any shop fabrication, I will look locally (I can barely hang a picture), use a local printers for flyers, posters or merchandise, local web designers. If Rochester or the surrounding area has someone with a skill that I need I will use it.
And don’t think that just because I will be located in Rochester I’ll just be a local shop for local people. Part of the funding will go towards an online service so that where ever you are in the UK and I can get you your beer fix.