Interesting as always from Matt. I wonder how much the resurgence in cask has been fuelled by the globals pulling back from mass production, creating space on the bar for heritage brands like Bass, Boddingtons and output from smaller breweries.

My kingdom for an APC collection.

You bet I'm filing a business rates check case on the actual deadline date. It's what deadlines are for, innit!?

We're having a clear out and I found my old Acer Aspire One Netbook - remember netbooks? Far too small to do much work on but looked pretty cool. Anyway, it powered on without a glitch. Windows 7 even awoke from sleep mode and was still showing and old work presentation! (pic nicked from eBay)

Fuel costs to consumers always rise immediately when there's any kind of market event that increases crude prices but can take months to go down again when they recover. Funny, that. Those poor global oil companies with their tight margins and slim profits!

Watching Masterchef with bingo card at the ready. A tuile, giroles, stuffed courgette flower, samphire, pancetta, raviolo (single) and and any kind of puree required for a full house.

Message from Mum - “I AM CANCER FREE”. We always have hope. Sometimes it’s all we have. Never stop hoping and believing things can get better.

We ditched our home landline years ago, as 99% of the calls were spam. Family and friends had our mobile numbers. I'm now at the stage where our business one is 99% spam too (and thus impacts productivity) and considering ditching that, or just diverting it permanently to voicemail.

We hope everyone had a great Christmas! We're back open today with some nice fresh beers, including the award winning Oregon Trail West Coast IPA on cask by @elusivebrewing.com Grab a roll with it as well, you can't get better than that! 🍻

Merry Christmas, one and all!

Me receiving "pricing update" emails knowing without reading even them that whatever it is ain't going down.

Now pouring: Green Hopper, our collab with the mighty @elusivebrewing.com Drink the beer, play the game: hopper-game.netlify.app Help get little Hoptimus over the A20 for a pint at the Shirker’s.

Hanging out in a bar in the CA Central Coast where the bartender keeps cancelling juke box selections to play more Paramore. Yes! (Long Island Iced Tea for effect)

MP @victoria-collins.bsky.social giving a powerful speech on the negative impact the addictive nature of social media can have on young people’s lives. @libdems.org.uk #LDConf

@elusivebrewing.com Oregon Trail also voted the best IPA in the UK @camraofficial.bsky.social 2025

Wordle 1,527 6/6 ⬛🟨⬛🟨🟩 🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬛🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Stupid bloody game 😂. There were still two more options but got lucky.

"Liquid Green – cutting through the myriad of new liquid hop aroma products" Just had new piece published in Brewers Journal on how we've used liquid hop products to drive up packaged yield. www.brewersjournal.info/liquid-green...

One of my favourite days of the year tomorrow as we judge our birthday home brewing competition. Good luck if you've entered! Results will be posted from Elusive socials, probably around 5pm! :)

Today has been tough - waking up to news that one of my old classmates couldn’t face life any more. Please, no replies (I’m honestly fine) but I pray others can find the strength talk to folk if they’re struggling, no matter how hard that first step is x

QCing the batch of OT we’re sending to the CBoB final. I don’t know what else we can do with this beer. This batch is pure OT. We’re firing our absolute best shot and hoping for the best. That’s all we can do. To even be in the mix a brewing career highlight!

Driving up the M40 at around 6am the other morning and the overhead signs start warning of a cyclist. Sure enough, a mile or two along was a bloke cycling full pelt up the hard shoulder (with a police escort). The mind boggles. How did he get on there? Where was he going?

Filed my VAT return with over an hour to spare. What do small business owners do with the rest of the time that leads up to midnight on VAT submission day? 😂

StageCraft Festival is taking place on 25th - 26th April at South Street Arts Centre in Reading. The Saturday afternoon session is now sold out, with the remaining evening sessions heading the same way, too. Buy tickets at https://whatsonreading.com/venues/south-street/whats-on/stagecraft-festival

Sunday eve batch cook of this lovely recipe done. Used 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp tumeric and 1 tsp cumin seeds as the spice based and substituted cream with coconut milk to keep it vegan. The kick came from 2 tsp of Angus & Oink Vindaloo Lip Tingler spice blend! www.bytheforkful.com/indian-butte...

Shirk longer, shirk harder.

The world’s best beer? Right now, on a grey Sunday in a cosy Belgian-style cafe accompanied by a bowl of nuclear hot Bitteballen it certainly is.

Thanks Paul :) This has been one of our fastest ever selling beers in can. We're down to our last case!

Just had my first crack at making Pad Thai from scratch using this recipe. Didn't turn out too bad considering I don't have a wok. The flavour and texture was good but could've done with frying the noodles separately first. www.feastingathome.com/15-minute-pa...

Free booze at Waterloo.

Looking forward to speaking at Die Heimbrau Convention in Romrod nr. Frankfurt this weekend. It's been a while since I've done battle with PowerPoint!

What’s up with some dog owners thinking that picking up poop and hanging it on a tree in a plastic bag is better than just not picking it up?

There's cask @elusivebrewing.com Oregon Trail at the Kings Arms.....

Example of how Beer Duty is changing for us as of February 1st on our biggest selling beer, at an output of ~60HLpa (1200HL total). Broadly, going down slightly for beer sold to the on trade (as this is discounted) and up slightly for beer sold to the off trade or retail.

Super happy with DOT this year. Presents nicely balanced between citrus and dank. Writing the book last year allowed me to pick some big brains and make a few minor tweaks, especially in terms of clarity of flavour. We consciously sat on this for 3 weeks before release to mellow.

Beer of the Year already!? 🤤🍻 #RedAleForLife #RIPACOMEBACK @elusivebrewing.com @tabamatu.bsky.social

London pals, come down to The Kernel next Wednesday!

Today in the chamber, I spoke about the systemic nature of sexism that leads to unacceptable levels of violence against women and girls in this country. Too much violence is being tolerated by our society - we must have cultural and legislative change. View my full speech here: shorturl.at/QkA00

Just cooked this recipe and it was delicious and super quick - a really nice contrast of textures and flavours. Used some baked crispy tofu rather than eggs to make it vegan (just because I'm trying to cook one vegan dish per week). cookieandkate.com/thai-pineapp...

Snowing outside (and settling). Tomorrow, as the sun rises, I shall venture out to forage sufficient supplies to make a huge chuffing roast and a bucket of rhubarb crumble with custard. This shall be the sum total of Sunday's productivity.

We're down to our last kilogram of Christmas cheese which means it's not long before we'll need more cheese.

Thanks for the review, Roger!

What day is it? Who cares!

If there's a modern style I really struggle to appreciate as a drinker, it's the pastry stout. I've tried and tried but I just don't think they're for me.

Easter products are in at the cash and carry!

Popped by the brewery for checks. Double Oregon Trail and Double Sunset Oregon Trail both tasting very nice in tank. The former is now cold conditioning and the latter ready to be dry hopped once it settles a bit.

Caught myself pondering a third book earlier. Not about brewing but about the wider industry, how it works and how to navigate it. I feel that someone needs to document the beer tie, PubCos, global brewers, indies and how everything combines to constitute modern beer.

It’s time. A Christmas Eve tradition of mine for the past 10 years or so is to open a bottle of St Bernardus Christmas, play festive songs and reflect on the year. This year has not been without its challenges but I’m ready to kick 2025 and everything it brings square in the plums. Merry Christmas!

Looking forward to cracking this open later! #tradition

In all the chaos of our Xmas party last weekend, I forgot to post about having been presented with this!

Thanks <<SUPPLIER>>!