Bowland Brewery has become Cask Marque’s latest Centre of Excellence, hosting training courses for the British Institute of Innkeeping Award in Beer and Cellar Quality (ABCQ) qualification.
The brewery, based at Holmes Mill in Clitheroe, Lancashire will host four courses in 2019. Attendees will experience a tour of the brewery, in addition to learning best cellar practice, how to handle cask ale correctly, and managing keg dispense systems.
All classroom based activity is held in the Beer Hall at Holmes Mill, and delegates will get chance to explore a range of Bowland Brewery beers.
Bowland Brewery joins nine other Centres of Excellence strategically placed to cover the whole of the UK. Other centres include Brains, Arkell’s, T&R Theakston, Fuller’s, Robinsons, Marston’s, and Palmer’s.
Cask Marque director, Paul Nunny, said: “We are delighted to bring on board Bowland Brewery as one of our training venues. The facilities offered by the brewery, and the Beer Hall at Holmes Mill, are amongst the best in the country, and this venue is a welcome addition, joining our other Centre’s Of Excellence throughout Britain”
Cask Marque is a leading provider of cellar management training courses in the UK. During 2018 it delivered more than 200 training courses. Pass rates for candidates attending a Cask Marque ABCQ course stand at more than 98%, and 95% of delegates rated the trainer performance and delivery as ‘excellent’.
Delegates attending an ABCQ course are trained how to handle both cask and keg beers to improve quality, reduce wastage and increase yields. All learning is tested with a 30-question exam.
Bowland Brewerys managing director, Andrew Warburton, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as a venue for Cask Marque’s industry standard training courses. Bowland are totally committed to the highest quality levels of brewing and cellar management and so to be able to combine both these aims within our facility in Clitheroe is a source of great pride.
“Cask Marque have revolutionised consumer perceptions of cask beer and are instrumental in the resurgent interest across the UK in great tasting cask ale. We are very pleased to be associated with them in this excellent initiative.”
