I’m going to post more on Elusive’s socials tomorrow but one of my favourite ever photos was taken 10 years ago yesterday. We got the keys to Unit 5, Dad rolled up his sleeves and said “Come on then, son. We’ve got work to do”.
Last week presented the opportunity to get involved in some hop assessments, looking at development varieties and carrying out sensory analysis. First up was @charlesfaram AromaFest, hosted at @hackneychurchbrewco , which presented hops from Faram’s own hop development program. Blinded Godiva and Harlequin were rubbing well and 2-3 varieties currently in development were really popping! On Friday, attention turned to Wye Hops in Kent which under Klara Hadju’s watch is showing huge potential. 40 different samples were assessed at @foundrybrewpub in Canterbury and 5-6 really stood out for me. It’s fantastic to see continued innovation in British hop growing and the future is bright!
I’m absolutely thrilled to see The Modern Homebrewer make the shortlist for best book about beer and pubs at this year’s British Guild of Beer Writers awards. When CAMRA books approached me about the project a couple of years ago and challenged me to bring something new and different to what is a saturated shelf, I wasn’t sure. There are a lot of great books about home brewing! It wasn’t until I reached out to @jzainasheff that the idea started to come together. Jamil brought experience, focus, energy and fresh ideas to the table and challenged me every step of the way to create the best book we could. To work with Jamil on this book soon educated me on why he’s won so many brewing awards. No stone is left unturned and every avenue is explored in everything he does. Win or not on Thursday, this book is quite the legacy for a hobby that got very much out of control and I’m incredibly proud of it.
It’s been a whirlwind few days and a monumental team effort but the kit started the week in Swindon on Monday morning is currently running our first mash. There’s still work to do to get things fully commissioned but we’re on our way. Huge thanks to @elitestainlessfabrications , @pearelectrical , Screwfix (many visits, haha!) and of course Team Elusive 🔥
Absolutely thrilled and somewhat taken aback to be shortlisted in three categories at this year’s awards!
- Best Book about beer or Pubs (The Modern Homebrewer)
- Beer of the Year (Oregon Trail)
- Brewer of the Year
Good luck to all finalists!
We ventured out to The Vyne this morning for a coffee in beautiful surroundings. It was busy even just after opening but we found a quiet spot in the gardens. Bit of an uncomfortable shuffle from the car after yesterday’s knee crunch but luckily it’s not far to walk from the car park!
Some simple home comfort cooking for a lazy Sunday. After a day spent serving Pimm’s in the rain there was leftover fresh mint and cucumber. My thoughts turned to Tzatziki and Hummus, so a big tub of full fat Greek yogurt and other ingredients were acquired and Sunday dinner was served! Tzatziki is one of my favourites and so simple to make - grated cucumber, yoghurt, mint, garlic and lemon mixed in a bowl couldn’t be easier. My first stab at home made Hummus could’ve used a touch less tahini (it’s a strong, nutty flavour) but the flat breads (mix self raising flour and yoghurt 1:1 with a smidge of oil to form a dough, roll out in more flour and pan fry) were so tasty! #greece #greekcooking #greekfood #santorini
