Palmers Brewery and Brewery Tour
Real ale doesn’t get more real than a Palmers pint. Made in the same Bridport brewery for 221 years with equipment that is over a century old, this is traditional brewing at its finest. Visit the brewery and you can see the care that goes in to creating their award-winning ales.
For all you craft beer buffs this really is a great way to see behind the scenes of a working brewery and get an insight into how some of Dorset’s finest beers are brewed.
Traditional brewing
Palmers Brewery has been in operation in Bridport since 1794, making it one of the oldest brewers in the UK with a claim of continuous beer production on the same site for over 200 years. It was founded by the Gundry family (famous for their rope and net making) who built the brewery on the banks of the river Brit. In the late 19th Century the brewery was acquired by the Palmer brothers and over the years it has been handed down from generation to generation – it is now run by the great-grandsons of the Founder.
Little has changed to the buildings over the last hundred years. Palmers is the only brewery that has a thatched roof and the present water wheel which was constructed at the Bridport Foundry in 1879 is still in good working order. Walk up to the front of the building and you are met with a beautiful archway and cobbled area that was built to accommodate the horse-drawn drays, a delivery method that was used right up until the end of the Second World War. The horses were a familiar site around Bridport and the surrounding villages as they delivered the ale.
Family business
Palmers is a real family business that represents the very best of small independent brewers. Their old values and traditional brewing methods of yesterday are carefully blended with the modern, efficient systems of today. The 100-year-old fermentation vats are still being used today, but don’t be surprised to see head brewer Darren checking his smartphone to get real time information on how each brew is going.
Over the last few years Palmers has seen steady expansion with increased demand for its range of draught ales and extensive wine list from around the world. It has also ventured into cider and gin to keep up with local trends.
Its portfolio extends to 53 pubs right across Dorset and into Devon and Somerset. So there’s plenty of opportunity to sample a few pints whilst staying locally.
Brewery Tour
Fancy seeing behind the scenes of this working brewery? Well, you might be surprised by the age of some the vessels still in use. This is most certainly not a modern brewing tour where a button is pressed and it all works automatically.
The Palmers Brewery tour takes you on a journey through every stage of the traditional brewing process; right from the start by tasting some of the raw ingredients all the way through to the large fermentation room and then sampling a pint in their Wine Store.
Prices for the tour start at £10 (discounts if you book a group of 4 adults or more). Best of all there’s a pint to sample at the end along with a glass tankard to take home. It is a great way to spend 2-3 hours seeing the history and tradition that goes in to creating the perfect Palmers pint.
The brewery is open for tours between Easter and October and you can book a tour online.
Local Palmers pubs
There are a number of Palmers pubs not far from the park including:-
- The New Inn, Eype
- The Anchor Inn, Seatown
- The Crown Inn, West Bay Road, Bridport
- The Bridport Arms, West Bay
- The West Bay Hotel, West Bay
- The George Hotel, West Bay
Click here for a full list of Palmers Pubs and Inns.
Location
Palmers Brewery
The Old Brewery
West Bay Road
Bridport
DT6 4JA
T – 01308 422396
E – enquiries@palmersbrewery.com