Otley microbrewery gives away unsold beer in return for donations to food bank

An Otley microbrewery has been swapping its unsold stock for donations to the town’s food bank.

Shadow Brewing was in a better place than some larger breweries when the lockdown came with relatively little unsold beer.

But owner Ian Shutt decided that, rather than hold on to the beer in the hope that the pubs would reopen soon, he would use it to benefit the local community instead.

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Ian set up a cask and hand pull on his street, Whiteley Croft Rise, and invited neighbours to help themselves in return for a donation to Otley Food Bank. He later set up the cask again in return for cash donations to Crisis and Otley Action for Older People.

Ian, 41, said: “It was lovely to be able to have a chat with neighbours new and old, some of whom we’d never met before and others who were fans of our beers but didn’t realise where we were based.

“It was also fantastic to hear all the reasons to celebrate in these tough times. It was such a success that we repeated it twice more in the following weeks, this time taking donations towards the work of Otley Action for Older People, and finally Crisis.”

In total, the brewery raised almost £500 in addition to a big box of food which will help support people in need at this difficult time.

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Shadow Brewing was established by Ian in 2019. It sells beers, including Ghost and Wraith, at pubs across Otley, Harrogate, Bradford, and as far north as Morpeth.

For more information visit www.shadowbrewing.co.uk.

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