Cheshire town appoints ale taster

Paul Boswell has been appointed as official ‘ale taster’ for the town of Congleton, Cheshire, for the next year.

This year marks the 750th anniversary of Congleton receiving its town charter from the Constable of Cheshire, which meant that four official roles could be appointed to the newly-designated town: mayor, catchpole/debt collector, town crier and ale taster.

Though that last position may seem like a bit of a laugh, to Boswell, a 35-year veteran of the brewing industry, it’s deadly serious.

“The ale taster’s role was basically a combination of trading standards and weights and measures to ensure that the proper ingredients and quality ingredients were being used and they weren’t overcharging for the beer,” he told The Guardian.

The role is also important in light of the challenges faced by pubs during the pandemic, drawing attention to the high quality of the town’s beer and encouraging people to pop to the pub for a pint or two.

To this end, Boswell will be donning medieval costume (designed by a local historian) to promote Congleton’s public houses and their ales. He was sworn into his new role at historic pub The Beartown Tap.

When asked about the new name he has agreed to adopt, Boswell said he felt that his current name wasn’t sufficiently medieval. “Benedict means “blessed”, and of course Congleton is blessed with lots of good ales.”

Bakers and brewers of Congleton can expect to prepare for a visit from Benedict Goodale, checking that they make “good and wholesome bread, ale and beer for man’s body”, as he declared in his oath when sworn into the role.