Two local breweries, Wantsum and Ramsgate, have collaborated to create a beer especially for the sixth Planet Thanet Easter Beer Festival to be held at Margate Winter Gardens on Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23...

Two local breweries, Wantsum and Ramsgate, have collaborated to create a beer especially for the sixth Planet Thanet Easter Beer Festival to be held at Margate Winter Gardens on Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23. The beer, named ‘Low & Behold’, is just 2.8 per cent, a new ‘low strength’ category that the Coalition government are encouraging with a reduced beer duty rate.

Both breweries, and members of the local Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) branch, have been working on the project for a number of weeks, conducting research and brewing test batches. The style finally selected has a traditional English bitter colour (reddish brown) with a lively, hoppy flavour.

Wantsum brewery boss James Sandy said: “Most people appear to be sceptical that a beer of such low strength can be tasty, however, we believe it can and it’s our challenge to try to prove it.

“It’s all about getting the right ingredients and using techniques to increase the flavour” he added.”

Fellow conspirator Eddie Gadd, of the Ramsgate Brewery, said:

“While any reduction in beer duty is welcomed, I remain convinced that the government has yet to get alcohol policy right."

“Beer is a low strength drink to be enjoyed in the comfortable surroundings of a pub, but increasing the rate of duty on it by 34 per cent since 2008 has served only to push wine and spirit sales from the supermarkets."

“It’s about time the government used some joined-up thinking, reversed the current trends and improved the health of the nation as a result."

“It’s for that reason we settled on the name Low & Behold – lower the beer tax and be holding it low!”

As well as being available at the Planet Thanet Easter Beer Festival, ‘Low & Behold’ will be sold in pubs around East Kent from the first week in May.

The Ramsgate Brewery is run by Eddie & Lois Gadd

1 Hornet Close

Pysons Road Industrial Estate

Broadstairs

Kent CT10 2YD

01843 868453

www.ramsgatebrewery.co.uk

The Wantsum Brewery is run by James Sandy

Unit 22 Sparrow Way Lakesview International Business Park Hersden Canterbury CT3 4AL

0845 0405980

www.wantsumbrewery.co.uk