Pete Flynn goes inside the heart of Vale Brewery to meet MD Joe Brouder
As I travelled out to Ludgershall, a small village near Brill in Buckinghamshire to meet some of the team at Vale Brewery, I was thinking not much happens around here in this quintessentially English village. But that notion was soon set aside once I started chatting with Joe Brouder, managing director of the brewery.
The small but stylish taproom is where we met, and I was delighted to see six Vale beers on cask which, as you would expect, are always available and in perfect condition. I declined a sample and sensibly opted for a coffee as I was driving.
Vale Brewery was founded in 1995 by Mark and Phil Stephens, starting in Haddenham and moving to the current location in 2007. It was not until 2010 that new kit arrived to enable the business to expand to a 20-barrel plant, equivalent to 5,760 pints.
Mark and Phil decided on an exit plan as they wished to retire, and this is where Joe and brother Jimmy declared their interest.
Joe explained: “At 19 years of age I decided not to complete my university course, leaving to run a pub in St Albans much to the annoyance of my parents. But this early insight into pub culture provided invaluable experience and the pub even sold beer from Vale, so I knew of them. I then went on to work for Britvic, Carlsberg and Timothy Taylor, which complemented my experience of the pub and drinks retail trade.
“Unlike me, my brother concluded his university studies as a history student,” he continued. “Jimmy became a graduate trainee with Heineken’s Star Pubs group where he quickly gained experience in sales and marketing, so you can see where all this is heading.”
Whilst you might conclude that they set up their vision for Vale Brewery at this stage, this was premature. The brothers established their own sales and marketing agency, working with over 50 brands during a four-year period with the emphasis on sales, and it was not until September 2021 that they and fellow shareholders were able to buy Vale Brewery.
Joe explained: “Whilst my brother and I had considerable experience within the retail operation, you need the ability of a lead investor to negotiate financing the buy-out. We were able to convince our shareholders of our vision for the future, raising money from friends and family.”
I gained the impression that Joe is a charismatic leader who really engages with the team, and he invited me to view the entire operation where I met head brewer David Renton. Joe looks him with affection as he has a loyal following for his legendary brewery tours, with hundreds of members benefitting from this generous scheme costing £80 per annum. It is now in its second year.
“It is not just about selling your product, but engaging with your local community so that they want to return repeatedly,” said Joe. “In our case members are given a branded growler which holds 3.3 pints, which they can refill 13 times for free throughout the year. As part of the deal members are given two brewery tours, when they can drink for free throughout an evening. In addition, we hold various events in the taproom throughout the year, bringing more opportunities for members to meet on a regular basis.”
Whilst some brewers are struggling to keep sales on an upward trend to restore the levels prior to Covid, Vale has seen sales double over the past four years with a 26% increase during the past year. Joe attributes this to a focussed approach with a mix of sales channels including the independent free trade, a successful taproom and online activity.
The 10 full-time employees really enjoy the vibe, and it is a great working environment with Dave having worked at the brewery for over 25 years, where he started as a drayman and was then encouraged to learn brewing.
It is good to know that Vale has a signature brew which can really lift sales and provide a solid foundation for the brewery. This is of course Gravitas, a 4.8% pale ale. I asked Joe what makes it special?
“It’s a 100% smash beer using UK Cascade hops and 100% pale malt, with the length of the brew time and the profile of the liquor differentiating the mash. Add to this the nuances of the head brewer’s methods and you have a winning beer.”
I would certainly agree as I first came across this beer many years ago at our CAMRA Oxford Beer Festival, where I served it to our thirsty customers. Other beers in the core cask range include Brill Gold; Red Kite, a bitter; Tickety Brew, an amber ale; Electric Sheep, a Citra pale ale; Black Beauty, a porter; Wychert, a bitter; and VPA, a pale ale. A rebrand a few years ago really makes them stand out on the bar, and they are seen around Oxford much more often.
I asked Joe about future challenges and directions for Vale, and he replied: “Certainly beer taxation continues to be a major issue with 53p in every £1 of revenue going to HMRC, which is a big challenge to our much-loved brand and brewery. It is up to us to focus on what is controllable, like getting our customers to return repeatedly. It’s a fun way to spend what I call a perfectly repeatable week, and we love doing what we are doing.”
Joe mentioned that Vale has room to expand with the ability to fill more casks and bring in more fermenting vessels, enabling the business to grow organically which is a far less risky a proposition than growing by acquisition.
I was impressed with how clean the operation is, and Joe told me that Vale has been awarded a SALSA accreditation. This is a tailored for safety certification designed for small and micro-sized breweries in the UK and a type of quality assurance, with only 7% of brewers obtaining this mark.
You will find the full range of Vale beers around Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire but mostly in the free trade, with Wetherspoon selling the beers within a 30-mile radius including some specials. If I had to choose just two of their beers my favourites would be Gravitas and Black Beauty, the latter being a smooth and comforting Dark Chocolate Porter with an ABV of 4.4%.
I so much enjoyed my brief time at Vale that I am going to arrange a cohort of CAMRA members to visit the taproom. I thanked Joe for his time and asked for an overview of the future for Vale.
“I am excited and optimistic, and we are open for business. So visit our taproom (open from 3-8pm on Fridays, 12-5pm on Saturdays and 12-4pm on Sundays) and enjoy a brewery tour with David, to join the throng of existing members.”
I have little doubt of continuing success for this small but vibrant brewery.