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:

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