Devon fruit farmers brew up blueberry beer idea

By Jemima Laing
BBC Devon

A drink in a bar while on a trip to the US gave Devon blueberry growers Nick and Toby Hewison the idea for their latest venture - blueberry beer.

The brothers, from Lustleigh, had been visiting blueberry farms and businesses in Maine and went to visit the local brewery after tasting the beer.

On returning to the UK they contacted John Parkes, founder of Red Rock Brewery in Teignmouth.

And John accepted their challenge to brew a blueberry beer.

But the project nearly fell at the first hurdle when they realised that the Devon-grown blueberries were not suitable for the brewing process.

It is is a malty-based 4.6 per cent ABV ale

"It's a bit like grapes for eating versus grapes for making wine," said Nick.

"For excellent blueberry beer you need wild blueberries - but wild blueberries are only commercially harvested in Northern America and Eastern Europe."

So Nick had to try to track down blueberry concentrate which he gets from a variety of Eastern European countries.

Then John and his son Lewis had to work out how to brew beer with blueberry juice.

"It's not as easy as you might expect - a few gallons of purplish, funny tasting liquid had to be poured away before we were all satisfied."

The resulting beer is a malty-based 4.6 per cent ABV ale - the sugar in the juice ferments out producing a dry beer with a hint of blueberry flavour.

If you can put a blueberry in it we're looking at it! Nick Hewison, Blueberry Brothers

In November 2010 it was the first beer to sell out at Abbfest, a local beer festival.

The brothers started growing their blueberries in their fields in the picturesque village eight years ago - 600ft above sea level.

The 2.5 acres of land at the brothers' family home used to be full of Christmas trees.

Now their berries are sold in chef Michael Caines' restaurants at Gidleigh Park at Chagford and Abode in Exeter, Powderham Castle, and Dart's Farm in east Devon

So what's next after Blueberry Brothers beer?

"Our priority is always to partner with other Devon-based businesses," said Nick.

"What we're trying to do is create a product range packed with excellent food and drink products.

"We want to become the first name in blueberries - if you can put a blueberry in it we're looking at it!"