Great Yarmouth brewery celebrates 10 years of independence

The 10th anniversary of Lacons Brewery's fresh lease of life is being commemorated with a limited edition golden ale.

Lacons started in Yarmouth in 1760, and the firm’s renowned ales were an integral part of life in the region and beyond until 1965 when it was bought by the national brewer Whitbread.

The team at Lacons Brewery. Picture - Lacons (Image: Lacons)

At its height, the brewery controlled 300 pubs, employed 150 workers and about 50,000 casks of ale were shipped weekly to pubs in the City of London.

But in 1968 Whitbread closed the brewery ending a rich chapter in the region’s brewing history.

However, the brewery celebrated its "independence" on May 21 2013 under the helm of managing director Mick Carver.

The old Lacons Brewery on Brewery Plain, Great Yarmouth, in the mid-20th Century. Picture - Newsquest Archives (Image: Newsquest Archives)

Using a 20-barrel brewing plant at its new site on Main Cross Road, Lacons has been serving its three main beers, Encore, Legacy and Affinity, to many pubs and restaurants across the country.

Its tenth-anniversary golden ale, Origins, has been made in collaboration with Lacons' long-standing hop and malt suppliers, Charles Faram and Crisp Maltings.

Lacons Origins golden ale has been released in celebration of the brewery's tenth year of independence. Picture - Lacons (Image: Lacons)

A Lacons spokesperson said: "As Maris Otter barley is the core malt in all our recipes, it made perfect sense to mark our special occasion by producing our anniversary beer using traditional floor-malted Maris Otter, creating a rich and moreish ale with the malt body characteristic Maris Otter is famous for.

"While our batch of Maris Otter barley to be used in Origins was undergoing the traditional floor malting process, our brewers were invited to Crisp Maltings to partake in the original hand-raking technique that master maltsters have passed down through generations since the 19th Century."

Lacons managing director Mick Carver. Picture - Sumbitted (Image: Archant)

Lacons managing director Mick Carver said: "Collaborating with Crisp Maltings and Charles Faram on recipe creation has been exceptional.

"This has been a fantastic project, and we can't wait for everyone to try Origins."

For more information, visit www.lacons.co.uk

Lacons Brewery on Main Cross Road, Great Yarmouth. Picture - Newsquest (Image: Archant Norfolk 2016)