Britain now has more small breweries per head than any other industrial nation. Helen Peacocke explores the NT’s beer links

New beers, rare beers, award-winning beers and beers you would not typically find on the high street are now available to members of an exciting new beer club that is celebrating our nation’s heritage of brewing.

Yes, it’s the National Trust who have collected together more than 100 beers for us to choose from.

As the National Trust now owns 61 pubs, its link with beer is not as unusual as it sounds. There is, after all, as much history to be found in a glass of ale as in some of the ancient buildings in their care. Besides, many National Trust places have a great history of brewing, particularly the private country houses as brewing was prevalent in Britain 200-300 years ago, with servants and workers of large estates regularly receiving beer as part of their wages. Shugborough Hall, near Stafford, is an excellent example of an existing working brewery within the National Trust’s estate.

The estate also includes a working Oast House at Little Scotney Farm, Lamberhurst, Kent, which was built in 1871 and which dries the hops that go on to make Scotney Ale. Beer brewed with hops became a popular drink in the 16th century. Before that it had been flavoured with herbs and spices. The beer club is a concept developed in partnership with Delavals Brewery Ltd. The inspiration for the brewery to get involved was the National Trust’s recent purchase of Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland, which used to have a working brewery on site more than 200 years ago. To celebrate our nation’s heritage of brewing the Trust’s Seaton Delaval Hall Pale Ale is based on a 200-year-old recipe for “small beer” which was produced at the property in the late 1700s.

It is Delavals’ aim to bring the brewery back to life one day. Delavals (Brewers) became an official licensee of the National Trust in 2012.

The company is operated by brothers John and David Gilfillan, John being the managing director and chairman of the National Trust Beer Club. He explained there has been a real explosion of craft beers brewed in the UK recently. According to the Good Beer Guide, Britain now has more small breweries per head than any other major industrialised nation. The number of brewers is now exceeding 1,000, which is a fivefold increase on the number that existed in the early seventies. Together these breweries make more than 4,000 brands of beer, many of which the National Trust aims to make available to their beer club members.

“With the National Trust Beer Club we’ll be able to connect many of the independent craft breweries to beer connoisseurs throughout the country,” he said, adding that the club was not just for connoisseurs, but anyone who enjoys beer. Craft beers are made by entrepreneurs and enthusiasts who pack more flavour into their brews and so tap into the growing demand for quality and niche products,” John said.

On joining the club, (which costs £40 for basic membership) each member receives a case of 12 bottles of beer delivered free from the National Trust Great British Beer Collection and an engraved beer club bottle opener, plus ongoing benefits which include the 100 beers selected by the Delavals Brewers, who have hand-picked a selection of independent craft beers from around the UK for you to order (www.national trustbeerclub.co.uk). A new member’s first case will include the National Trust Best Bitter (3.8%ABV), National Trust Amber Ale (4%ABV), National Trust Golden Ale (4.2ABV) and National Trust Stout (5%ABV), all brewed by Delavas, which currently produces eight National Trust beers. To get the best from your National Trust collection and familiarise yourself with the different styles, John suggests the beer tasting guide, which calls for you to look, agitate, smell and then taste, letting the beer wander and explore your entire palate. He says the flavour of a beer should be a natural continuation of the aroma.

We are reminded that before we analyse a new beer we should make sure that it is not too cold as this makes it a lot harder to taste. It’s a good idea to take your beer out of the fridge 15 minutes before you want to drink it.

Phillippa Green, brand licensing manager at the National Trust, said the Trust was thrilled to be working with Devavals Brewers. “The beer club gives people a new way to experience, discover and enjoy beer. Plus every single subscription will help raise awareness of the National Trust and generate valuable income for our charitable work, with all memberships and beer sales directly helping the Trust look after special places in its care.”

John Gilfillan sees the beer club helping the micro-brewers too. Many would not be able to showcase their beers throughout the entire country without the National Trust’s help.

Call it “living history,” if you wish, but do celebrate the fact that beer has always had its place in our historic homes.