Something special brewing for redundant real ale fan

A REAL ale enthusiast from Barnsley, who was made redundant last year has now realised his dream of starting his own brewery.

James Taylor, 54, used his redundancy pay and life savings to launch Two Roses Brewery after losing his job as a performance specialist with the Audit Commission due to Government cuts.

Brewing is about to start at his new unit at Darton Business Park, with the first batches of hand-crafted cask and bottled beers set to be ready by mid-April.

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The first special edition beer to be produced will be called Roy-ale Wedding to mark the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29.

Mr Taylor, who lives at Staincross Common, already has orders from Sheffield’s University Arms pub and local beer festivals.

He said: “I’ve been passionate about real ale for 30 years. For the last 10 years, I’ve brewed on a small scale at home and I see the process as a mixture of science and art.

“Like many people, I’ve always wanted my own brewery so, after being made redundant, I decided to go for it.

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“I came up with the name Two Roses because I grew up in Oldham, but I’m very happy to be launching my business in Barnsley, where I’ve lived since 1995.

“As well as the water here being great, I’ve also had lots of encouragement and support from local people. My plans seem to really resonate.”

Mr Taylor has also received financial and marketing help from the Enterprising Barnsley programme, which offers support to local businesses thought to have growth potential.

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