P R E S S   R E L E A S E

20 September 2022

Beer, food and more on tap! Hepworth's opens new Tap Room at Pulborough brewery

Design competition with the Chichester College Group to create ‘next generation' bar

Hepworth & Company has opened a new Tap Room at its state-of-the-art brewery in Pulborough for visitors to enjoy its full range of award-winning beers alongside street food and regular live entertainment.

At the same time, Hepworth's is launching a competition for students from the Chichester College Group challenging them to create a ‘next generation' Tap Room and Brewery Shop, to open within the next 12 months.

The Tap Room will be open Monday to Wednesday 10.00 am til 5.30 pm and Thursday to Saturday 10.00 am til 8.00 pm serving snacks, coffees and their range of award-winning beers including low alcohol brews. Hot food will be provided Thursday and Friday nights by a roster of ‘pop ups' with a focus on quality, and local ingredients, such as Rudgwick-based Italy on Wheels. 

Bands are being lined up to play on Friday nights, with a focus on local performers. The Tap Room entertainment programme kicked off with popular covers combo the Davy Wavy Band with other names set to play over the coming weeks.

Brewery founder and chairman Andy Hepworth said: "We're delighted to have a Tap Room where we can serve a pint and a bite to our guests. We expect it to evolve into a versatile space: a café bar serving coffees - or one of our alcohol-free beers - to morning visitors, through to a buzzing live music venue on Friday evenings.

"We're also excited about the design plans, which will take the Tap Room and Shop up to the next level. It's great to be working with the Chichester College Group and helping to nurture creativity and design in young people at the start of their career. We can't wait to see their ideas and work with the winner on turning them into a reality."

Sally Challis-Manning MBE, Principal of Brinsbury College, said: "We're always delighted to work with local businesses to give our students a chance to work on a real project. We know our students will be enthusiastic about this brief from Hepworth's and we're confident that their talent will shine through in some amazing designs."

The focal point of the Tap Room is a wooden bar with beer taps fixed to the back bar, creating a contemporary feel. Guests can enjoy a pint at the bar, or sit at one of the tables, with the space accommodating up to 60 people. The Tap Room was fitted out in just seven weeks by Hepworth's recently-appointed Tap Room & Events Manager Matt Tobin, who previously managed The Star in Petworth, and ran online beer retailer Beer Hop which specialised in American craft beers. 

The launch of the Tap Room is the latest in an ongoing programme of investment by Hepworth's at the purpose-built brewery on Stane Street, outside Pulborough, which they opened in 2016. Earlier this summer they installed a new canning line, which is now operational and producing 3,000 cans per hour, currently Hepworth's Charger and Crazy Horse beers, though they will also be providing canning for other brewers.

Hepworth's is continuously working on new environmental measures, with a CO₂reclaim project set to be installed this winter.  Already one of the most sustainable breweries in the UK, Hepworth's aims to reach 85% carbon neutral by 2025.

Caption to attached images:

1)     Andy Hepworth, founder and Chairman of Hepworth & Company with Tap Room & Events Manager Matt Tobin

2)     Andy Hepworth, founder and Chairman of Hepworth & Company with Sally Challis-Manning MBE, Principal of Brinsbury College

-ends-

Issued by: ShielPorter Communications

Further information:

john@shielporter.com/ 07734 054389

ros@shielporter.com/ 07841 694137

Notes to editor

• Hepworth & Company was founded in 2001 in Horsham, West Sussex, by Andy Hepworth. The brewery moved from its site in central Horsham in 2016 to a purpose-built brewery in Pulborough.
• Andy Hepworth started his brewing career in Reading before moving to Horsham in 1980. Five years later he became the youngest Head Brewer in the country, winning many awards. When King & Barnes, Horsham's last brewer, was sold in 2000, Andy and other members of the brewery team created Hepworth & Company, producing its first beers the following year.
• The Hepworth's portfolio includes traditional ales and more contemporary craft beers, available in cask, keg, bottle and, after the installation of a new canning line in summer 2022, in cans.
• Leading brands available on draught and in bottle include Hepworth's Sussex IPA; Saxon lager and Conqueror stout, while more recently launched bottle-only beers include: The Right Stuff American Pale Ale (winner of a 2021 Great British Food Award); Aztec 0.5% lager, Spartan 0.5% ale and Charger IPA.
• All Hepworth's beers are brewed from the highest quality ingredients, sourced in Sussex wherever possible, by the skilled brewing team led by Andy Hepworth and Ed Wray, appointed head brewer in 2022.
• The majority of Hepworth's beers are gluten free, vegan friendly and many are organic. Organic barley is sourced from the Goodwood estate in Sussex, and hops from award-winning hop grower Chris Daws at Bodiam.
• Hepworth's has won an impressive number of regional, national, and international awards including SIBA National Beer Competition, Taste of Sussex, and the International Beer Competition.
• In addition to its own portfolio, Hepworth's has also brewed for a number of retailers, including Marks & Spencer, producing their award-winning Sussex Golden Ale.
• Hepworth's have also bottled beers for many brewers across the UK, developing a reputation as a quality contract bottler.
• The senior team at Hepworth's includes Andy Hepworth, founder and Chairman; Leo Murphy, appointed Managing Director in September 2022; Tim Goacher, founder and production director and Ed Wray, appointed head brewer in 2022 following three years as assistant head brewer.
• www.hepworthbrewery.co.uk