The building of the Otter Brewery was, and still is, a labour of love.
Since 1990 David and Mary Ann McCaig have grown the business into an exemplar of successful sustainable production and one of the region’s leading suppliers of cask conditioned beer. The brightly coloured pump clips are instantly recognisable.
Located on a 16th Century farm in the middle of the Blackdown Hills, the existing stainless steel brewery is about as high tech as a small brewery can get. Brewing goes back for generations on both sides of the family and the rural location sets the agenda for everything that is done. Green thoughts run through every aspect of production.
The brewery lies in the heart of an AONB (and SSSI) and lime trees, beech, oak and blossom orchards have all been planted around the eighteen acre estate. All waste water (for every pint that is brewed, another four are required for cleaning vessels, lines and chilling) is aerated and flows through four ponds, five sets of willow beds and ends up in a half acre lake before being returned to the River Otter in pristine condition.
Family values, traditional methods, environmentally sound practices and first rate ingredients all underpin a brand that has a huge resonance with its consumers. Mary Ann has brought a personal, very human touch into brewing beer and David has remained true to their original vision: to produce commercially viable beers full of integrity, flavour and provenance that celebrate Devon.
Last year Otter was named the ‘South West Producer of the Year’ by Taste of the West, announced as a finalist in the 2010 Orange National Business Awards for exemplary Corporate Responsibility and won ‘Best Eco Project in the South West’ for their new eco cellar. Its intelligent design, capable of holding 5,000 casks over two floors, is already saving the business over 6½ tonnes of CO2 emissions per year and a small fortune in electricity.
This November, the family run business was voted the UK's most sustainable brewery by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and in November won the Green Achievement Award at the Western Morning News Business Awards.
Otter Brewery
