Harrison’s

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104-106 Carolgate, Retford, Nottinghamshire

Website: Harrison’s

About the brewery

Harrison’s Brewery was established in August 2018 by head brewer Chris (Harry) Harrison-Hawkes, who began his brewing career at the Idle Valley Brewery. Harrison-Hawkes had originally set up the Idle Valley Brewery with business partners in 2015. While the brewery produced award-winning beers, including a National Gold SIBA Award for Vacant Gesture (bottle), the venture didn’t work out. Harrison-Hawkes subsequently opened the Brew Shed pub at 108 Carolgate to raise funds. He had so little money he welded his own tanks while renovating what was a wood furniture manufacturers to turn it into what is now Harrison’s Brewery.

Harrison-Hawkes states that his first brew run at the newly established Harrison’s Brewery wasn’t a success despite his previous award-winning brewing experience. He put this down to being “rusty” as well as teething troubles in getting used to his new kit and having to scale down recipes developed for 10 Brewer’s Barrel production at the Idle Valley Brewery to the 2 Brewer’s Barrel kit at Harrison’s. After tipping away the first brew run as “not good enough” he was soon brewing his old recipes once again, including Vacant Gesture, Coconut Shy and Best Bitter, as well as developing new ones. Many of the beers Harrison’s produces are based on the recipes developed at Idle Valley but rebranded (Vacant Gesture retained its name because of its popularity).

Harrisons Brewery is situated at the rear of the Brew Shed on Carolgate. It now has four regular ales and rotates between 400 recipes on its final barrel.

Interesting Fact: Many of the principal roads in Retford have the Old Norse ‘gate’ ending including Bridgegate, Chapelgate, Moorgate, Churchgate and Carolgate. Grove Street used to be called Newgate. Carolgate is derived from the Old Norse ‘karla’ ( a karl) plus the Old Norse ‘gata’ (gate). A karl was a freeman.

Harrisons Brewery is situated to the rear of The Brew Shed on Carolgate, Retford. The Brew Shed’s beer garden overlooks the marina on the Chesterfield canal

Regular beers

Best Bitter (ABV 4.0%) traditional English bitter.

Coconut Shy (ABV 4.3%) an APA that uses Mosaic and Columbus hops.

Proof of Concept (ABV 4.3%) IPA.

Stout (ABV 5.6%) a classic dry Irish style stout with chocolate notes and a sweet malty finish.

Vacant Gesture (ABV 3.8%) a blonde ale brewed with mosaic hops. Brewed in regular rotation.

Regular seasonal beers and specials

The brewery has a wide range of seasonal beers and specials available from the Brew Shed.

Fancy a pint?

The Brew Shed is the tap for Harrison’s Brewery. It usually has five Harrison’s beers on sale plus up to three guest ales (cask) and a variety of kegs. Real cider is also available.

Tours and Takeaways

Harrison’s sell cans of Vacant Gesture, Proof of Concept and Coconut Shy, as well as limited edition specials from their website. The brewery also sells merchandise and beer recipes – including recipes for some of their most popular beers.

The Brew Shed is an ideal place to end a day out in Retford or for those on a beer tour. A visit to Retford Market, the Bassetlaw Museum (free entry), a little sight seeing, plus dinner out can be followed by an evening spent in the beer garden at the Brew Shed watching the barges moor at Retford marina. There is usually such a good selection of beers available at the Beer Shed you might end up spending the whole evening there, but there are several good pubs nearby such as The Ship (less than 5 minutes walk and a Bateman’s pub), The Galway (10 minutes walk) or The Turk’s Head (less than 10 minutes walk). If you want to make a weekend of your trip, Retford has a number of inexpensive hotels, including King’s Park Hotel (which has an annex that is visible from the pub and about 3 minutes walk away), and plenty of restaurants. The Brew Shed also has a restaurant.

Springhead Brewery

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Main Street, Laneham, Retford, Nottinghamshire

Website: no website

About the Brewery

Main Street, Laneham

Springhead was founded by Helen Teasdale and Richard Scragg in 1990 in Sutton-on-Trent, near Newark, and was the smallest brewery in England at the time with a brew length of just 2.5 brewer’s barrels. In 1993 it moved to larger premises and expanded to 10 brewer’s barrels before expanding to 50 brewer’s barrels in 2003. In 2011 it moved to its current location, a converted mill in Laneham. The brewery’s name comes from a bend in the river Trent near the original brewery site.

The brewery is now one of the largest microbreweries in Nottinghamshire, and since 2019 has been owned by local business people. The head brewer is Keir Teasdale, son of the brewery’s founders.

The origin of the name ‘Laneham’ is somewhat obscure. It may derive from the Old English æt Lanum meaning ‘at the lanes’ (the village is named ‘Lanum’ in the Doomesday book). Alternatively, it could derive from the Old English ‘lang’ (meaning ‘long’) plus ‘ham’ (a village or settlement).

Regular beers

Blind Tiger (ABV 4.5%) an English pale ale that has whole oranges added to it to deliver a citrus flavour and dry finish.

Drop O’ The Black Stuff (ABV 4.0%) is an award-winning porter brewed with Maris Otter Pale and Dark malts, roasted barley, aromatic mixed English hops and Nottingham Ale yeast. It is a vegan beer.

Left Lion (ABV 4.0%), named after a famous lion sculpture that flanks the Council House in Old Market Square, Nottingham.

The Leveller (ABV 4.8%) a Belgian-style Trappist ale with a dark, smoky flavour and intense burnt toffee finish.

Maid Marian (ABV 4.5%) is a pale golden beer with a fruity orange aroma and dry peppery finish. It is brewed using Maris Otter malt, Cluster hops and Nottingham Ale yeast, using fresh oranges, coriander and Grains of Paradise. It is brewed in the style of an 18th century beer and was first brewed in 2010.

Outlawed (ABV 3.8%) is an APA with a light, clean and crisp finish. It is brewed with American Centennial and Willamette hops.

Roaring Meg (ABV 5.5%) is a classic IPA with a sweet, citrus honey aroma and a dry finish. Launched in 1990 and named after a cannon.

Robin Hood (ABV 4%) a dark traditional bitter with a good head brewed with Maris Otter Pale, Crystal, and Dark Crystal malts, Northdown hops and Nottingham Ale yeast. Originally brewed to celebrate the film.

Surrender (ABV 4.8%) a blonde ale brewed with Equinox and Cascade hops to give hints of citrus and tropical flavours of papaya and mango. Vienna malt gives it a rich, biscuity finish.

Interesting fact: In 1346 William, a ferryman, took a man called Richard, his horse and his goods across the river at Laneham. Half way across the river William threw the horse and goods into the river, possibly because the ferry was overloaded and there was the threat that the ferry might capsize. Damages to Richard’s property were judged to be 40 marks in the subsequent court case.

Regular seasonal beers and specials

Fancy a pint?

Springhead’s beers are supplied to pubs within a 100 mile radius of the brewery including The Bramley Apple Inn (Southwell) and The Vine Hotel (Newark).

Tours and Takeaways

Bottled beers can be bought from local Co-op and Tesco stores and nationally from Morrisons. The brewery sells direct to the public (bottles, casks and half casks) and has an onsite pub (The Bees’ Knees) and brewery tap (Meg’s Bar). The brewery runs tours (enquire directly) which last about an hour and finish in the brewery tap.