This Victoria Works wonders!

By Steve Heighton
Posted: 31/07/2010



The Weatheroak Brewery's Victoria Works ale from Studley has scooped the County's major real ale award at an impressive awards night at the Merchants Inn in Rugby.  The competition was run jointly by the Merchants Inn and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) over a three week period  of blind tastings by the general public of the County's twelve real ale brewery's.  Steve Heighton from Rugby CAMRA stated 'The people of Rugby have really supported this event with enthusiasm as over 600 votes were cast and the beers consistently ran out!  The final six brewers were all in attendance for last nights presentation and after such a large vote it went right down to the wire with Weatheroaks Victoria Works ale winning the coveted award'.



Dave Smith, the brewer/owner of Weatheroak Brewery was surprised to win the event and added 'I started off on Alvechurch in Worcestershire 13 years ago and have only recently moved the brewery into Warwickshire.  I moved into the old needle works factory, hence the winning name, in Studley in 2009  and this move has gained me an immediate success.  I am surprised but also delighted to have won this award against such strong competition.  The drinkers in Rugby who voted overall have shown that they know their beers and I feel privileged to have it won it'.



Steve added his branches thanks to Scott Whyment and in particular Dave Morrison, who ran the competition over three weeks and produced excellent quality beers for judging. Steve said 'To have six beers each week ready to be blindtasted each week is a bit of a risk, but the Merchants provided the very best quality from all the 12 county brewers who supplied their beers'.  The runner up was Purity's Gold with the Tunnel Brewery finishing third.