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Pub Guide

Opening Times

Issue 141 Winter 2009-10

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ACCOLADES FOR DIGFIELD

Members of Huntingdonshire CAMRA gathered at North Lodge Farm in the Northamptonshire borders area in August to present the branch’s Beer of the Festival award to Digfield Brewery. Digfield Fool’s Nook was a clear winner in the visitors’ poll at the Booze on the Ouse beer festival in St Neots in March. The highly quaffable golden bitter with its aromatic hops and subtle malt balance had a wide appeal and was also the first beer to sell out.

Digfield is a small brewery set up in 2005 as part of a farm diversification scheme. The original plant, previously used at the Cannon brewery in Wellingborough and before that at B&T in Shefford, Bedfordshire, was expanded when three new seven-barrel fermenting vessels were obtained from the defunct Red Rose brewery in Lancashire, enabling a range of six real ales to be produced on rotation and supplied to around thirty local outlets. Maris Otter malt is the basis of the grists. Traditional English hops such as Fuggles and Goldings feature strongly in the Digfield portfolio, although American hops are also used – Chinook in the 4.7% abv IPA.

We settled in the comfort of the Kings Arms at nearby Polebrook to enjoy the hospitality of our hosts. IPA was on tap and we were impressed by the powerful dry hoppy character that should be expected in a true IPA. Shacklebush exhibited a softer nature, with a defined malty accompaniment to a more aromatic hop character and a bitter sweet balance.

Despite its recent origins, Digfield is no stranger to the accolades of beer festival punters. Shacklebush, Digfield’s 4.5% abv mid brown bitter won gold awards at the Peterborough beer festival in 2007 and 2008 and there were no fewer than six silver and bronze awards for Digfield at the same event from 2006 to 2008. It is to be expected that there will be more.