‘Lou’s Brew’ Wins National FreeFrom Award
The Driftwood Spars Brewery in St Agnes, which recently became the first in Cornwall to make all its beers officially gluten free, has won a national FreeFrom Food Silver Award.
‘Lou’s Brew’, named after Louise Treseder, Landlady of The Driftwood Spars, scooped Silver in the alcoholic drinks category at the prestigious ceremony – the flagship event for the ‘freefrom’ food industry.
The light, pale ale was described by the judges as follows: “Good balance of hop and malt flavour. Subtle on the nose; great mouthfeel and a light bitterness. A classic.”
The event took place on the 20th March at The Royal College of Physicians in London.
Pete Martin, Head Brewer at The Driftwood Spars Brewery, attended and donated some of his ales to help get the party started.
Reflecting on the award, Pete commented: “We’re really pleased that we’ve been able to strip out all the gluten from our beers without affecting the flavour. Visitors to the pub who are coeliac or gluten intolerant are loving it, and bottles are selling really well online.”
The FreeFrom Food Awards began in 2008 with the aim of encouraging innovation and celebrating excellence in the sector, which is defined as food free from one or more of the 14 major allergens.
The Driftwood Spars Brewery will now be able to use the freefrom logo on Lou’s Brew – a sought-after industry certification mark which is verified with independent laboratory testing.
The microbrewery is part of The Driftwood Spars in Trevaunance Cove, an independent pub with rooms overlooking a spectacular stretch of the Cornish coastline.
Pete uses the finest British ingredients to create elegant, sophisticated and distinctive hand-crafted ales which are available at the pub and further afield at establishments across Cornwall and Devon and online at www.driftwoodsparsbrewery.com
Lou’s Brew and other gluten free beers will be available at the Sausage & Ale Fest taking place at The Driftwood Spars on Monday 6th May (May Day Bank Holiday), where gluten free sausages will also be served.