Masham Brewery Trip

11 Belles paid a visit to one of our local attractions last night - the Black Sheep Brewery in Masham. We were treated to a tour of the brewing facilities, and were very impressed by the scale of the operation and how despite becoming a  business with a global reach in recent years the traditional product had not been changed.

Indeed, the whole operation was impressive in its "green" credentials - ingredients are sourced entirely from the UK including water from the well in Masham itself and everything is recycled, including the spent hops which are available for keen local gardeners to pick up. We were told how the hops are crushed to form a mash, how the barley is germinated then crushed and toasted, wheat and malt added how the resultant mixture is boiled in coppers before being mixed with water and yeast in enormous Yorkshire "squares" (actually round vats!) before storage, "fining" and final distribution. We learnt a lot from our lovely guide!

After the tour we were given a supper in the excellent cafe facilities and were able to sample some of the brews - the Golden Sheep being particularly popular with the Belles.

All in all, a very enjoyable outing.