UP CLOSE: With Crewe brewer Sean Ayling of Tom's Tap and Brewhouse
Meet the Crewe brewers who are turning five next year.
Head Brewer Sean Ayling is one of the three directors of Tom's Tap and Brewhouse,
They brew a lot of their own beer, which is kept at a colder temperature that you would find in most pubs.
Sean lives just around the corner from the Thomas Street premises.
"We think we have 36 of the best beer and cider lines you can get in Crewe - if not the north west," said Sean.
"We're a family business, my wife Jackie and our eldest son Tom is involved.
"When we moved up here, we had just about enough money to buy the business, but not enough to cover the cost of moving up here, so Tom came on board as a third director and indeed the namesake.
"We have one other full-time employee, and four part-time bar staff. Our Co-Brewer Chad became full-time this time last year.
"A thing that sets us apart is that we use a direct draw system, which is essentially a massive fridge with taps in the wall. It keeps beer colder than most pubs at four degrees Celsius, and there is less waste. This also makes the beer taste as fresh as the day we brewed it.
"If you keep hoppy beer at a constant temperature the volatile hop compounds don't fade as much, compared to 12C which is what most conventional cellars are kept at.
"Our pump system is also built so the unit can be towed and taken to private parties and functions.
"We're all about beer and cider quality. But none of that matters if it is not served in a space that our customers don't find safe.
"So we take extra measures to make our venue a welcoming environment for everyone in the community.
"We are signed up to the Everyone Welcome pledge, which states very calmly that we have a zero tolerance on ableism, sexism, racism. And if we see any of that, we call it out.
"We have free menstrual products in the bar. We're an LGBT+ friendly venue. And I think that is one of the things that stands out, our clientele ranges from young families with kids to people in their 80s and 90s.
"We love celebrating localness too. One of the first things we did was work with Mornflake. When we first moved to Crewe in 2018 to start the brewery, we'd just thought we'd reach out and say 'You're one of Crewe's oldest businesses, we're one of Crewe's newest ones, let's work together'.
"And remarkably, they replied. We use Mornflake oats in more than half of our beers, including our best-sellers Crewe's Control and The Mighty Stout. They even designed the labels for the latter.
"We have a number of The Alex fans coming in saying that 'you should really get your beer up there'.
"Most of our customers live really local, we try to be a community hub.
"We try and work with local charities, this year we are raising money for Body Positive Cheshire and North Wales [who have a site on Edelston Road in Crewe]. Last year we raised money for Motherwell of [Beech Drive].
"We also brewed a beer for one of our customers who was running the London Marathon for Epilepsy UK. It is very important to us to be part of that community, especially as outsiders, we are from Kent originally."
Sean is an expert in brewing dark beers. His specialism has seen his company create a mango ice cream pale and a maple and pecan danish breakfast stout.
Tom's Tap and Brewhouse sell can and bottled drinks online from just £4.20. They do local and national delivery.
They even make the UK's only mussel beer - but sadly this one cannot be enjoyed at their Crewe venue.
"We have been listed in the Top 100 Breweries in the UK on Untappd. But personally, I prefer seeing the reactions of people at our bar," added Sean.
"Lots of regulars say that 'I'm only coming in for one' but stay the whole night. That means the world to me.
"We have had our energy bills skyrocket in recent months, but we are lucky to have a loyal customer base. Thank you so much for your support."
The watering hole also sells spirits, cheap soft drinks and bar snacks.
Known for their events, upcoming evenings include a cheese night on December 9 and Crewe punk band Scarlett Fever later this month.
"The thing we wanted to do with our middle unit was to create that as a performance area", concluded Sean.
"We have a comedy night every month, and the occasional bit of live music of emerging talent.
"We used to have a monthly artist in residence before COVID, so a local creative could use it as a selling space. We hope to start that back up again soon as well. Just drop us an email if you are interested in that.
"I think that is the sort of thing that is really important, if you are going to be a space to bring the community, you need to do your bit to give parts of your community a voice.
"We host games and alternative events too like Strange Crewe, a goth music night. Our Meet the Brewer events are very popular as well."
This month also marks a year since brewer Chad has been a full-time employee.
"The good thing about having a second brewer is that more ideas can be brought to the table," he said.
"I volunteered and did part-time work here for a few years before I got the full-time role. Thank you to Sean and his family for putting his faith in me.
"I come from a baking background originally in Stoke, so it is similar. I am looking forward to celebrating our fifth year as a company next year."
Tom's Tap and Brewhouse is open four days a week.
They open on Thursday and Friday from 4 to 10pm, Saturday from 12 to 11pm and Sunday from 3 to 10pm.
You can follow them on Facebook by clicking here.
They also have an Instagram.
READ MORE: Crewe-born artist expands prints range of hometown landmarks
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