Amateur ale drinker turns professional brewer after opening new microbrewery near St Neots

Most ale-lovers are content with a do-it-yourself home-brew kit and a couple of demi-johns ... or the pub.

But armed with over 30-years experience, amateur brewer John Kearney decided to dispense with the home-brew kit and take his art to the next level.

In 2000, the communications designer, who lives in Little Staughton, set to work masterminding his microbrewery and decided on the name Red Brewery.

Mr Kearney, 49, told The Hunts Post: “The search for premises started in 2010 but it was difficult to find the correct combination of attributes. In late 2011, we came across a grain store on Garden Farm, Great Staughton, and eventually started brewing this year.”

Red Brewery’s first offering was Staughton Bitter, closely followed by Sundial and All Saints, all of which sold out at the recent Booze on the Ouse and Tilfest beer festivals.

Mr Kearney added: “All our beers have a local theme. Our next one will be called Pathfinder, after the RAF target-making squadron based in Huntingdon.”

The company intends to expand over time but for the moment is content with the 32,700 litres – or 60,000 pints – it can produce each year.

And if that wasn’t mouth-watering enough – each pint costs around 36 pence to make!