Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2010 | Page 138
food
Island Life - August/September 2010
David pictured with his latest awards - the real ale is ready for shipping
David a real ale enthusiast
When David Yates decided he no
closure of the Inn at St Lawrence,
it took him many years to perfect the
longer wanted to continue his job as an
Yates’ Brewery moved to its current
art of brewing.
inspector of gas pipe lines and oil rigs,
site at Langbridge Business Centre,
he seriously considered moving to Saudi
Newchurch, just over a year ago, and
stay at that level we want, rested for a
Arabia.
subsequently doubled capacity, as well
day and then chilled back again before
as expanding the wholesale business.
it goes into casks, and put in a cold
Instead he opted to come to the
Island. Perhaps it was just as well for
He said: “Finally it is chilled back to
store. So you are talking about a week
So what’s the secret of a good brew?
real ale enthusiasts that he decided
David admits there are a few, but
to complete the brew, and from me
to stay much closer to home. He and
explained: “I could tell the other two
brewing it to the customer drinking it is
his family moved to Ventnor in 1979,
brewers on the Island what I put in
ideally three weeks.”
sparking an ambition that reached
my beers, but if they did it, their beers
fruition just over 10 years ago when he
wouldn’t be the same.
opened Yates’ Brewery.
The gamble appears to have paid
converted to malt in Warminster before
being returned. Most of the other
Junior and seven other staff members
contents – the likes of hops and chives
the brewery is able to produce and
arrive from Worcester.
with the hoppers loaded with the
pints - to numerous outlets across the
malt, and beers’ different colours
Island, and a handful on the mainland.
being made up from different
coloured malts, although most of
before learning his trade at the old
the ales comprise 80 per cent pale
Burts Brewery in Ventnor, spending
malt.
eight years perfecting his skills.
David then joined a new brewery
Then there’s the process of
mashing to produce wort in a
which later took over the Burts name,
90-minute process that gets
but when it was sold in 1998, he found
as much sugar out as possible.
himself out of work. That prompted
The ‘very sweet’ wort is then
him to have a go himself, opening a
transferred to a copper, and
brewery at the Inn at St Lawrence in
different flavoured hops are
2000.
added.
The introduction of such favourites
As David continued to explain
as ‘Undercliff’ and ‘Holy Joe’ saw the
the whole process – fermenting,
business expand, with David junior
adding yeast, checking
joining the team in 2004, introducing
alcohol, and sugar content and
a wholesale company. Following the
temperature, it is easy to see why
138
important.”
Then the brewing process begins,
of real ale every week – that’s 7,200
After arriving here, David ran a shop
“I am still enjoying it, and that’s
Barley, some of it from the Island, is
off handsomely. Along with son David
distribute up to 100 nine-gallon casks
It sounds a hectic seven-day-a-week
job for a 67-year-old, but he smiled:
Visit our new website - www.visitislandlife.com