Putting our best foot forward with DEYA

The incredible DEYA Brewing Company success story has come about in a relatively short space of time and is one that many craft brewers would be delighted to emulate. From their acclaimed flagship pale ale Steady Rolling Man, first brewed in 2015, to their pioneering and ever-popular destination taproom in Cheltenham, they are renowned and celebrated throughout the industry by fellow brewers as well as a growing legion of loyal and discerning craft beer fans across the world. 

Their distinctive house style of soft, juicy pale ales, bursting with fabulous hoppy aromas were instantly popular, so it came as no surprise that their beers soon topped the review charts, and they became the highest rated independent brewery on Untappd. Always innovative, bold and authentic they now brew a dizzying choice of beer styles and flavours to suit every taste and run a very busy taproom.

Like many craft breweries of recent years DEYA was influenced by and founded on the back of the waves generated by the US craft beer scene, but with rapid growth, a brand ethos of sustainability and a strong sense of community, it was always keen to expand its range of beer styles and support local producers.  With Brook House Hops innovating and investing in the hop growing world in neighbouring Herefordshire, it was only a matter of time before the two businesses started working together.

Theo Freyne, owner and founder at DEYA picks up the story;

“Our first beers were very much US in style and flavour, they packed a massive juicy punch, and continue to be hugely popular. But variety is the spice of life, and as craft beer fans ourselves we know that there are hundreds of different tastes, flavours and beer styles we want to brew and bring to our customers attention. We were also very aware that if we really wanted the UK craft beer scene to take off like it had in the US, then it needed to develop its own unique characteristics in a sustainable way that celebrated the differences in beer and brewing styles. This meant we had a responsibility as a successful craft brewer to support UK producers too, but genuine quality had to be there, we didn’t want to just pay lip service.

We just got lucky that Brook House Hops, who were introducing some of the best aspects of the US approach to hop growing and processing, were just down the road!

Having visited several hops farms while brewing in US and seen the levels of care and attention to detail that went into growing, picking, packing and storing hops we knew exactly what we needed to see in order to give us confidence that the hops would deliver when it comes to flavour and aroma. Could we really get this in the UK too? The only way to be certain was to see it with our own eyes, and not many brewers get the chance to visit a hop farm during harvest, so we jumped at the chance. We needn’t have worried, after seeing the set up at Brook House Hops and sampling their homegrown fresh English hops first-hand we could see that the whole team was as passionate about growing hops as we were about brewing.

For DEYA, English hops and the unique beer styles that can be brewed with them are a regular part of our line-up and are becoming increasingly popular. Whether it is Best Bitters (Best Foot Forward), Golden Ales (Texture Like Sun), ESBs (Giant Leap) or a host of other potential styles it is important to get the right hops for the right beer and to celebrate and work with those different flavour and aroma options that English hops can provide in abundance. Using more locally sourced ingredients also has the added bonus of helping us to lower our carbon footprint is a major part of our ongoing sustainability initiatives. In fact DEYA customers can now find out exactly what has gone into their beer and see its carbon footprint by simply scanning the QR code on cans.”

Seb Nielsen, Sales and Marketing Director at Brook House Hops had the pleasure of showing the DEYA team around the farm during harvest.

“It was fantastic to have DEYA as one of the first craft breweries to visit us. We absolutely love their beers, but great beer doesn’t happen by accident. We fully appreciate the passion they have about the quality and sustainability of absolutely everything that goes into brewing each one. Being able to build a close relationship with their team since their visit, means we can keep them fully informed throughout the growing season, we precisely understand the variety of hops they need, and can make them aware of which hops we feel are going to be extra special come harvest time.”

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