To celebrate the 2019 release of their summer seasonal beer, Strawberry Hells Forever, Camden Town Brewery has collaborated with social enterprise GrowUp Community Farms, who are championing sustainable urban farming to grow the freshest natural ingredients in London. With this, GrowUp’s sister company, Rootlabs, has installed the UK’s first brewery-based urban vertical farm at the Camden Town Brewery’s Enfield brew house, allowing the company to grow their own crop of urban strawberries for future brewing.
Created to transform spaces into socially and environmentally productive places, vertical farming allows year-round organic crop production with less exposure to chemicals, using 90 per cent less water than traditional farming to grow fresh, sustainable produce. Camden Town Brewery’s new vertical farm also helps to improve the company’s sustainable footprint by reducing the need for transport and packaging, as well as eliminating the amount of food wastage associated with fresh produce. Moreover, a donation of 20p from every can of Strawberry Hells Forever will go towards supporting GrowUp Community Farms and their mission to spread the word on urban farming’s benefits.
On the vertical farm installation, Jasper Cuppaidge, Founder and CEO of Camden Town Brewery, said: “Sustainability is something that’s built at the heart of our Enfield Brewery – with our solar panelled roof, energy storing heating equipment and recycled rain water system already in place, Rootlab’s vertical farm will be an exciting new addition to our brewery. By partnering with GrowUp Community Farms in their mission to grow a greener planet, we’re sustainably growing our own strawberries for future brewing to welcome Strawberry Hells Forever is back for its 5th summer.”
Sam Cox, Co-Founder of Rootlabs and GrowUp Community Farms, added: “We are delighted to be working with Camden Town Brewery to raise awareness of vertical farming technologies in London and across the UK. Their generous donation of 20p per can will support the delivery of our programme of workshops and training courses for the public.”
Launched in 2010, Camden Town Brewery has since become one of north London’s leading breweries, with the Enfield site having opened last summer, joining the original brewery in Kentish Town West. With a core range of seven beers, the brewery also launches limited-edition Seasonal Hells beers each year.
A crisp, refreshing lager, Strawberry Hells Forever is produced by combining fresh British strawberry puree with the brewery’s famous Hells Lager, brewed with Perle, Mosaic and Huell Melon hops, plus pilsner and wheat malt. Presented in a can designed by Bodil Jane, the brewery’s seasonal design collaborator, Strawberry Hells Forever has a cloudy light gold complexion, capped with a white head. Floral notes are joined by some grass, lemon zest, vanilla and pale malt aromas, joined by a very feint whiff of strawberry. On the palate, strawberry is present but isn’t too pronounced or overwhelming, subtle alongside some tart savours and minerality which continues on the clean, refreshing finish.
Further information on Camden Town Brewery can be found here. Strawberry Hells Forever is available at Sainsbury’s nationwide in single or 4-pack 330ml cans, RRP £2 per can.
