About Our Suppliers

It's all about the beer...

For the last 20 years, Clearwater Brewery has developed a reputation for great beers of consistantly high quality. Our 10bbl brewery is based in the historic port town of Bideford in North Devon and we use the finest available hops and grain in our truly tried and tested recipes.

Our focus is largely based on supplying local pubs as well as working in partnership with regional beer distributors which has seen our Devon beers in pubs up and down the UK.

First and foremost, we love beer as much as you, it's why GT Ales was born.

Our small, independent brewery is housed in a characterful World War II aircraft hangar near the banks of the River Taw and just a few miles from the stunning beaches of Saunton, Croyde and Woolacombe in picturesque North Devon. From here we brew flavoursome, modern beers using traditional techniques and just 4 ingredients: water, barley, yeast and hops. 

Naturally Brewed with 100% British grown ingredients

There are over 30 commercially grown Hop varieties in the UK with aromas ranging from tangerine and citrus, to marmalade, spice, mint, honey, floral and molasses.  It’s also said that the best malting barleys in the world are grown in a maritime climate, which beyond the British Isles are few and far between.  Alongside the growers, the UK also boast centuries of history of malting barley both for beer and whisky. Indeed British maltsters invented the method of kilning to produce pale malts which is the very essence of lager brewing. 

Established in 1998, using the Brew plant from Lundy Island. The Brewery was originally located at the Pig On The Hill pub in Pusehill, Westward Ho!. During 2001 the brewery capacity was doubled in size. During the late summer of 2002 the brewery moved to its current location; The Big Sheep tourist attraction, where you can visit the working brewery and retail outlet; the brewery shop. In 2005 the new state of the art brewery and bottling plant was installed enabling Country Life Brewery to keep up with demand and can now produce over 15,000 pints of award winning ales a week and is North Devon's largest brewer. In fact, so successful that expansion, Country Life Brewery has branched into the production of fine Gins alongside its celebrated Ales.   

The initial aim was purely to supply the pub, and the first brews were Dry Stout and Firefly as a session bitter. The name was chosen by a customer competition (winning free beer as a reward) and was won by a regular called Philippa Ditcham.  The core brands in the earliest days were, Blakeleys Best, Port & Dry Stout and Firefly.

In 2000 the O’Hanlons Brewery moved to the farm buildings in Devon, deep down in a stretch of countryside, south of Exeter, beyond the M5. An old orchard, its trees arthritic and bent and twisted with age, stands next to the ancient house, which sits on a site once mentioned in the Domesday Book; it’s a cob farmhouse that was derelict when the O’Hanlons moved in during 2000. A group of barns housed the brewery, the nerve centre of beer-making, an ensemble of stainless steel vessels and up-to- the-date computation, but still making beer whose essentials hadn’t changed for generations.

A WORD FROM BARNY

I started making cider because I couldn’t find the cider that I wanted to drink. At first I made just enough for me and some friends but they kept drinking it, so each year I made more and by 2002 I’d started Sandford Orchards and cider making became my full time job.

I’ve always made cider in what I believe is the right way.

That is to press true cider apples, ferment from fresh juice, allow that juice to mature, age and develop and then, only when we’re happy that it’s ready and tastes as it should, we will blend and package that cider and proudly put our name to it.

Swanaford  was planted by Ben and Caroline Goulden in 2013 following a  move from London, with the ambition of making great English sparkling  and still wines. Having prepared the site, a crack team of laser-guided  Germans drove in and planted every vine in a day.

Wildsea Raspberries is a family-run fruit farm near the beautiful North Devon coast.  We produce all things raspberry-related, including jams, fresh fruit, raspberry vinegar and our flagship product, our lightly sparkling Raspberry Splash.  For full details on our range please see our products page! 

We started growing raspberries in 2015 and since then have expanded from fresh fruit to include other products including Raspberry Jam, Vinegar and our flagship Wildsea drinks range. 

At Luscombe, we’re all about crafting drinks with real depth and  character. Using the finest ingredients and taking care with every step,  we craft best tasting soft drinks. With a distinctive style and a rich  heritage, our drinks are made for those who appreciate something a  little more grown-up.

We, Neil and Sarah moved to Little Comfort Farm in Torrington around 32  years ago just after we were married, but Neil’s family have been  farming in this area of North Devon for four generations.

Fast forward to 2001, following a serious rugby injury, Neil and I  started to rethink the farm. The water presented itself and refused to  be ignored. And having tested it, we decided to bottle it.