Simon Tomkins to plug Wadworth ales in London

Wiltshire brewer Wadworth has its sights firmly set on a bigger slice of the London market, with the appointment of a new London key account manager and ambitious plans to bring its famous heritage ales to pubs around the city.

Simon Tomkins, has come to Wadworth from SAB Miller Brands, and is leading the assault on the capital. “Craft ales are the beers of the moment, but it is a mistake to think that only recently established breweries brew them,” says Simon.

“Wadworth have been brewing the best quality ales in Devizes for over 125 years and this heritage and experience should not to be taken lightly. Brewing is indeed a craft and it takes years of experimentation with different ingredients and methods to get the best results. Great brewing heritage equals great beer. It’s my job to get this message across to London publicans.”

“With many pubs rotating beers very quickly to satisfy the trend for ’the next’ craft beer, the danger is that quality can suffer. At Wadworth we concentrate on creating innovative beers that deliver on taste and consistency and so pubs can ensure they offer quality as well as originality. GM’s are seeing the importance of having a mix of interesting but still sessionable beers on the bar and being well established we can also offer solid support to bars and retail groups which is an important factor if you are running a business and want a dependable supplier”.

Wadworth is now listed as a supplier of guest ales on rotation in over 60 of Mitchells and Butlers Nicholson pubs in London, and it is not just pub groups that have been stocking Wadworth beers. A number of freehouse pubs are seeing the benefits of offering quality craft ales that have some staying power and not just novelty value.

The Hillgate in Notting Hill and The Larrik in Marylebone are both offering Wadworth’s oldest and most famous ale 6X a permanent home. James Corbett, owner of The Hillgate says: “Quite simply 6X is a great beer. Full bodied and distinctive, it’s been extremely well received by customers -and I’ve no doubt it will continue to prove a popular choice. It goes down a treat!’’

20 April 2015 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor