Arkell's Brewery

Infobox Brewery
name = Arkell's Brewery


caption =
location = Swindon, Wiltshire, England
owner =
opened = 1843
production =
active_beers = brewbox_beer|name=Bee's Organic Ale|style=Golden ale brewbox_beer|name=2B|style=Light ale brewbox_beer|name=3B|style=Best bitter brewbox_beer|name=Kingsdown Ale|style=Strong ale brewbox_beer|name=Smooth|style= brewbox_beer|name=Moonlight|style=
seasonal_beers = brewbox_beer|name=James' Real Ale|style= brewbox_beer|name=Yeomanry Bicentenary Ale|style= brewbox_beer|name=Summer Ale|style= brewbox_beer|name=Peter's Porter|style= brewbox_beer|name=Mash Tun Mild|style= brewbox_beer|name=Noël Ale|style= brewbox_beer|name=Dirty Tackle|style=
other_beers = brewbox_beers|type=Commemorative brewbox_beer|name=Welcome Ale|style=

Arkell's is an English brewery located in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire. The brewery has been owned by members of the Arkell family since its establishment in 1843. It is Swindon's oldest established company.

Originally a Steam Brewery,Cite web|url=http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/tiwtourism/thingstoseeanddo/wiltshirebreweries/|title=Wiltshire Breweries|accessdate=2007-01-19|publisher=thisiswiltshire.co.uk|work=Things to see and do] Cite web|url=http://www.swindondiary.com/arkells160.htm|title=Arkells 160th Anniversary Beer Festival |accessdate=2007-01-19|publisher=swindondiary.com|year=2003|work=Swindon Events] with the engines now being powered by electricity, Arkell's is a tower brewery which works on the principle that raw materials are fed into the top of the building and beer comes out in casks at the bottom.

The brewery owns 97 pubs in the Swindon area and surrounds, including locations in Oxford, Newbury, Reading, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Ascot; and sells its products to free houses in the Thames Valley and London.

In 2005 the brewery entered into a contract with rail company First Great Western to have its beer stocked in their buffet cars.Cite web|url=http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=98|title=Wiltshire food and drink now on First Great Western trains|accessdate=2007-01-19|publisher=First Great Western|year=2005]

The brewery building is a Grade II listed buildingCite web|url=http://www.swindon.gov.uk/listed_buildings_stratton_pdf.pdf|title=Listed Buildings: Stratton St Margaret Parish|accessdate=2007-01-19|publisher=Swindon Borough Council|format=PDF] and the site has been designated an Urban Conservation Area by Swindon Borough Council.Cite web|url=http://www.swindon.gov.uk/stratton_kingsdown-2.pdf|title=Urban Conservation Areas in Swindon|accessdate=2007-01-19|publisher=Swindon Borough Council|format=PDF]

Arkell's also sponsor a race-day at Newbury Racecourse.Cite web|url=http://www.newbury-racecourse.co.uk/racing_db/fixtures/ViewMeetingDetail.php?MeetingId=121%20|title=FRIDAY 2nd MARCH|accessdate=2007-01-19|publisher=Newbury Racecourse]

The brewery has been visited by Her Majesty the Queen and politicians such as Michael Howard and William Hague.Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/4461463.stm|title=West: Swindon's swings|accessdate=2007-01-19|publisher=BBC News|year=2005|author=Dave Harvey|work=Politics Show West]

Arkell's also won Silver and Bronze awards at the Taste of the West Food & Drink Awards 2006 for its Bee's, Kingsdown and 3B beers.Cite web|url=http://tasteofthewest.co.uk/Results06.htm|title=Taste of the West Food & Drink Awards 2006|accessdate=2007-01-19|publisher=tasteofthewest.co.uk|year=2006]

References

External links

* [http://www.arkells.com/ Official Arkell's Brewery Website]

See also

Arkell, Ontario, Canada