Anniversary ale launched to celebrate 175 years of Sutton Coldfield Cricket Club
A popular microbrewery in Sutton has linked up with a cricket club in the Royal Town to celebrate a landmark anniversary.
Sutton Coldfield Cricket Club is celebrating 175 years this summer and has teamed up with the Brewhouse and Kitchen to create an Anniversary Ale.
Members of the cricket club, including chairman Nick Baker and captain Jack Smith, joined Head Brewer Iain Birchley to create the beer – a Golden Cask Ale – last Thursday and will now take part in a ‘Tapping Party’ on April 20.
Chairman, Mr Baker, said: “This year is a chance for us to celebrate 175 years and try to engage more people in cricket.
“We have seen a massive uplift in cricket over the last couple of years which has been fantastic and we want to let more people know about us.
“We have this fascinating history going right back to 1847. The world’s a very different place now but the game is essentially the same."
“We have lots planned including an annual dinner next month, some charity games during the year – supporting Help for Heroes and the Andy Biddle Foundation – and we will potentially have a ball at the end of the season.
“This link-up with the Brewhouse was something we really wanted to do. We’ll have the Anniversary Ale at the club all year and I think it will go down a storm.”
Gary Bruce, General Manager at the Brewhouse, said: “We are brewing the golden ale which fits well with the club’s profile and what they have in the clubhouse.
“We have a really good relationship with the cricket club as well as the hockey club.
“We are trying to do more with the local community so this is a really good marry up."
“We’d like to do more like this. We did an event for International Women’s Day recently and will be holding more events too. We want to do a lot of good both nationally and locally.”
Head Brewer, Mr Birchley added: “The idea of this beer is that you can sit by a fire in the winter and it goes perfectly with a Sunday roast but it’s best outside. It’s our biggest selling beer and looking forward to brewing this and reaching more mouths.
“Brewing local beer for local establishments offers part of that community feel.”
