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Tue 1st Oct 2002 : TECHNOLOGY HELPS BUSINESS ‘BREW’ UP EXPANSION PLANS
Wentworth Brewery, an award winning South Yorkshire based company set up by real ale enthusiasts, has been brewing up for future success with assistance from REACT (The Regional Technology Centre).

Wentworth Brewery managing director, John Moorhouse explained: “A group of friends used to meet for a pint or two on a regular basis and we often discussed running our own brewery.”

Three years ago the pipe dream turned into reality when five of the regulars formed a consortium, and entered the brewing business. John Moorhouse withdrew £5,000 of his savings and bought some equipment from a local brewery that had recently closed down. The next stage was to find the right premises, and a disused powerhouse in the village of Wentworth proved ideal. Shareholder, Gary Sherrif was placed in charge of brewing, and the very first ale he brewed proved an instant winner. The Wentworth Pale Ale, or ‘Woppa’ as it has become affectionately known as, picked up a gold medal at the Sheffield Beer Festival. Since then, the brewery has gone on to win a further 16 medals for its growing range of beers.

Meanwhile, John Moorhouse started his sales drive, and the brewery now supplies a wide range of customers including the House of Commons and pub groups such as ‘Scottish and Newcastle’ and ‘Weatherspoons’.

“Thanks to the assistance we accessed through REACT we now have modern technology installed including a sophisticated computerised system, which is helping with the smooth running of key areas of the business, including sales and production. We have also been able to compile an up-to-date database which we are confident will help with our on-going sales drive. REACT are also giving our website a ‘new look’, said John Moorhouse.”

Wentworth Brewery, one of the UK’s fastest growing traditional micro-breweries is now turning its attention to opening a chain of pubs. A subsidiary company, The Pub Company, has recently purchased the first pub - the Royal Albert - with plans for more in the pipeline. John Moorhouse said: “We are keen to reinstate traditional values, including the pub being at the heart of village life, and building up strong relationships between tenants and brewery. As a young company we have found REACT’s ‘hands-on’ approach very refreshing and look forward to continuing to access their expertise as the business matures.”