Brewery blends craft with a sporting chance of success

Martin Kellaway, who was on the books of Hampshire and Somerset but didn't make it into the first eleven, recently went into production at WharfeBank Brewery in Pool-in-Wharfedale.

Mr Kellaway, 39, has already won an award for his brew CamFell Flame, which picked up the Leeds Camra beer of the festival prize, beating a number of champion ales in a vote at the event, which attracted more than 3,700 people.

He said: "We could not have got off to a better start. Our passion is great craft beer and it is reassuring to know that beer drinkers love our brew – it proves that all the time we have spent in creating, testing and perfecting our beers has been worth the wait."

Wharfebank, which also makes Slingers Gold and Tether Blonde, will produce about 160 casks a week initially but expects to take this to 400 over the summer.

Monthly guest and seasonal ales will be available from next month, beginning with Black Tom, a traditional premium dark mild.

Having taken redundancy from Caledonian Brewery, in Edinburgh, in April 2008, Mr Kellaway had planned to get bank backing for his new business but then the financial crisis began.

He took on the Fox & Newt pub in Burley Street, Leeds,

as a tenant landlord and brewed beer there while he became more used to the process.

"It was to get myself in the industry and to test myself," Mr Kellaway said.

He found a business partner, Nigel Jowett, and agreed a 150,000 rural development grant from Yorkshire Forward, for which he had to raise equivalent funding, as well as a loan from Nat West.

Now WharfeBank has seven staff and Ian Smith is head brewer. They hope to begin bottling in between 12 and 18 months.

Mr Kellaway left cricket in 1991 and began his career in the drinks industry with Bass before being seconded to Britvic soft drinks.

He later worked at London Pride maker Fuller's and then Edinburgh-based Caledonian, which makes Deuchars.