Beer gets on to university curriculum

Newcastle University is to set up the UK’s first student-run microbrewery as part of a nationwide scheme to make higher education establishments greener.

The students take charge of all aspects of the production and brewing from growing the ingredients to the bottling and marketing of the finished product.

The brewery is to be set up in a disused barn in the coming weeks, and all ingredients will be grown on the Newcastle University’s community allotment and at the Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) community action project base in Rupert’s Wood, Northumberland.

The first samples are due for taste-testing in the New Year.

Bob Milan, manager of the NUSU community action projects, said: “We are really excited about launching this new venture and hope lots of students will want to get involved.

“This is a first for all of us involved so we don’t know yet what our beer will turn out like but we’re determined it will be good and made with the very best ingredients and a lot of enthusiasm.

“The aim is to set up the university’s first Brewing Society alongside the project to give students a real understanding and ownership of the project as well as providing them with some useful entrepreneurial experience.”

The initiative is one of several recently-announced projects which the university hopes will make it a greener institution.

Others include outlets for locally-farmed organic produce to be sold back to students, a three-quarter acre student-managed orchard and the acquisition of two apiaries.