The week in pictures

On Wednesday this week, Great Yarmouth-based Lacons Brewery invited Rev Canon Simon Ward from Great Yarmouth St Nicholas Church to the brewery to bless the beer, as well as enjoy a taste of it before it was launched. The Reverend did just that – first he blessed the tanks in the new brewery, then he blessed the casks of St Nick’s ale that they had produced.

Former England cricketer Phil Tufnell enjoyed a break from The Ashes with a day out in Adelaide and visit to St Hugo Wines. He then had a helicopter trip over the Barossa wine region, stopping at Seppeltsfield winery and food and art hotspot, where he tried a glass of Port from his birth year.

Mark Harvey, managing director, and Josh Donaghay-Spire, head winemaker

English winery Chapel Down unveiled its first gin and vodka this week, produced using grapes from its 2016 harvest.

db‘s Phoebe French took at trip to visit South Bermondsey’s Small Beer Brew on Thursday. The ex-Sipsmith Gin duo are hoping to carve new ground in the 0.5-2.5% small beer category and are due to make their first brew on 18 December using specially designed brewing equipment. It may be small beer, but the pair certainly have big plans having already gained listings at The Savoy and The National Theatre.

The brewery itself, which they hope to transform into a community space, complete with bar and kitchen, will open in January.

Communications award: Presented by Jacqui Merrington from WMN with Editor Bill Martin and event sponsor Sarah Heald from Pennon. Winner: St Austell Brewery

St Austell Brewery’s ‘Quality Speaks for Itself’ campaign won the communications award at this year’s Western Morning News (WMN) Business Awards this week.

After securing an investment from Dragon’s Den star James Caan and Hamilton Bradshaw Capital Partners (HBCP), SlimLine Wine, “the world’s first zero sugar, zero carb wine,” hosted a tasting at London members club 67 Pall Mall. Among attendees were Lucy Rance, Lucy Horobin, Olivia Cox and Francesca Newman-Young.

The latest addition to Daisy Green Collection’s group of restaurant are two brightly coloured barges moored on the Grand Union Canal in Paddington and designed by iconic pop artist Sir Peter Blake. Pictured below is DGC founder Prue Freeman and Sir Peter Blake outside the site before the opening.

The most extensive English wine list of any fish and chip shop in Britain has been launched by Olley’s Fish Experience of Herne Hill in south east London. The nine-strong list is drawn from five counties – Kent, Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey and Devon – and has been chosen by proprietor Harry Niazi to pair with nine of his fish suppers.

Left to right, freelance drinks writer, Emma Russell; PR supremo, Rupert Ponsonby; and Alex Hely-Hutchinson, founder and owner of 26 Grains

On Tuesday, Marston’s hosted a tasting of the new limited release Cereal Range Cask Ales, a collaboration between Marston’s and Alex Hely-Hutchinson of porridge bar, 26 Grains in Covent Garden, and brewed in Marston’s DE14 nano-brewery in Burton-on-Trent.

English winery Nyetimber has taken up residence in the Grand Café, the Threadneedle bar and The Gallery at the Royal Exchange in London for a festive pop-up. Attendees can explore the entire range as well as library cuvées going back to 2007.

The Berkeley’s The Blue Bar has just launched the ‘Out of the Blue’ immersive experience with an exclusive partnership with Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands. ‘Out of the Blue’ consists of a 360-degree projection where moving images and molecular scents combine with cocktails to craft a bar experience that enhances the perception of flavour through sight, sound and scent.

And finally, our Sauvignon Blanc Masters judges toast the end of the competition with a well-earned cocktail. It was the last Masters tasting organised by the inimitable and irreplaceable Sheila Crisp, (second from right), who has worked for db since its inception. With a heavy heart we will bid Sheila a fond farewell at Christmas when she retires.