New brewery in Ditchling aims to impress at CAMRA beer festival

The Goldstone Brewery, The Forge, Ditchling Common Industrial Estate, was the brainchild of Mark Francis, who whilst running a bar in Brussels, fell in love with the vast selection of Belgium beers on offer.

When he returned to his home town of Hove he says he wanted ‘to recapture those moments of shear delight when you tried a new beer that was like nothing else you have ever taste’.

Mark decided he needed to have a go at home brewing and try to recreate some of these wonderful beers he had spent the last few years tasting.

After many efforts and learning the art of brewing from books, he felt he was getting close to recreating some of the interesting beers he had come accustomed to serving in his Brussels bar.

The dream of owning his own brewery was still a long way off and he was happy to go about his hobby making beer for just himself and his friends.

This was until he was introduced to a brewer in Essex through the Society for Independent Brewers.

The brewer happened to be Richard Venour, an award winning producer who was looking to upscale his business and sell his ten barrel plant.

After long discussions and looking for the right location, Mark took the plunge after finding an old building in Ditchling called ‘The Forge’.

Mark said: “It was absolutely perfect for what I was looking for.

“There was more than enough room for the equipment and it even had a cosy office to keep warm in when I’m not brewing.”

After moving into The Forge, Mark soon learnt that home brewing in his shed in the ‘Goldstone’ area of Hove, hence the brewery’s name, was a completely different ball-game from running a full time brewery that can produce up to 100 casks a week.

Luckily for Mark, Richard offered to show him the ropes while his own new brewery was being built.

Mark said: “Richard was incredibly generous with his time and shared invaluable knowledge only a master brewer would know.”

Now only a few months down the line, Mark is busy brewing and selling to pubs in his local area and is keen to show off his beers.

Look out for ‘Beacon Best’, ‘Old Charmer’ and ‘Ruddy Duck’ at the forthcoming CAMRA beer festival in Hove on the March 6 to 8.

Here’s raising a glass to every success for the Ditchling ‘Goldstone Brewery’.

Visit www.goldstonebrewery.co.uk for more details.