Duncan Sambrook – A Minute on the Clock
Duncan Sambrook is the director of Sambrook's Brewery in Battersea, south-west London, the capital's newest independent brewery, which produces Wandle Ale. He spoke to Kerstin Kühn about brewing beer in central London.
Caterer What made you want to open your own brewery?
Duncan Sambrook First and foremost it was a passion for beer. I grew up in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where there are seven or eight independent breweries. But in London there aren't any micro-breweries any more. So I wanted to change that by launching my own brewery. I studied chemistry at university - not a million miles from brewing - and I enrolled on a week-long brewery course. I also did a stint of work experience at a brewery in Devon.
Caterer How big is Sambrook's and how much beer do you produce?
DS At the moment four of us are running the brewery and we produce 9,000 pints of Wandle Ale every week. We're hoping to increase this to about 30,000 pints a week over the next couple of years. The brewing process takes seven days from start to finish.
Caterer What does Wandle Ale taste like?
DS It is a light and refreshing bitter with a sweet taste that is followed by a dry finish. It's a great thirst-quencher and perfect for summer drinking. Wandle is made with the water from the River Wandle, which runs through our local borough of Wandsworth, and we're about five minutes away from its mouth. We buy all of our ingredients in England and hope to be able to source everything from within the M25.
Caterer What's the biggest challenge of producing beer in central London?
DS The biggest challenge was getting all of the brewing kit set up and running. We had quite a lot of trouble with the installation of the tanks so it was a great relief when we finally started brewing. We took over our premises last August but didn't start brewing until November. Going forward the biggest challenge we face is keeping up with the demand.
Caterer How many pubs do you supply?
DS We currently supply about 50 pubs in London, with 25 of those being permanent clients. They're primarily independent operators but we do supply some small chains such as Capital Pubs and Geronimo Inns.
Caterer With the controversy over the "beer tie" arrangements of the major pub companies, is there an opportunity for smaller brewers to make their mark?
DS Initially we were really concerned that not being tied to a major pub company would make getting new business really difficult. But with more independent pubs on the market there is an opportunity to sell to them. Also, there is a growing trend among consumers to drink local beer from smaller breweries and many are making a conscious decision to support their local market. They're looking for something a bit different that they can identify with.
