Brighton Bier bids to help save famous seafront landmark with new brew

17-Jan-2018 - Last updated on 17-Jan-2018 at 11:18 GMT

Initiative: 25% of the profits from Mabiera will be donated to Save Madeira Terrace restoration fund

Sussex brewery Brighton Bier is to launch a special beer to raise funds for the city’s Save Madeira Terrace campaign.

A quarter of the profits from the brewery’s latest creation – a 4% ABV pale ale called Mabiera – will be donated to the Save Madeira Terrace restoration fund. The campaign is seeking to restore all 151 of the historic Madeira Terrace arches on Brighton seafront to their former glory.

Just a short walk from the existing Brighton Bier brewery, the famous Victorian ironwork overlooking Brighton beach plays backdrop to the finish of the Brighton Marathon and has featured in many films, including Quadrophenia and Brighton Rock.

A crowdfunding campaign, led by Brighton & Hove City Council, exceeded its target in November 2017 and raised more than £464,000 to go towards restoring the arches. This money will now be boosted by additional funds from Brighton Bier’s newest release.

Keg and can launch

The beer will launch in keg and can on Friday 2 February at the Brighton Bierhaus (161 Edward Street, BN1) and subsequently be available in outlets across the city.

“We would love to, one day, be brewing Brighton Bier on Brighton beach as part of a restored and revitalised Madeira Terrace seafront area," said Brighton Bier founder and brewer Gary Sillence. "We realised we could help immediately by brewing a beer specifically for the restoration campaign.”

Brighton & Hove City Council leader Warren Morgan said: “The crowdfunding campaign demonstrated an overwhelming level of public support for the restoration of Madeira Terrace but it’s essential we keep that momentum up.

“This latest idea will help to keep the ongoing campaign in the public eye and is a great example of how businesses can get involved. Buying Mabiera not only supports the campaign but puts money back into the local economy by supporting local businesses and local jobs so it’s a win-win all round. I look forward to trying a pint soon!”

Brewery seeks new production site

A hop-forward pale ale, the recipe for Mabiera includes subtle nods to the challenge of restoring and modernising the areas surrounding Madeira Terrace.

The beer pairs classic American hop variety Centennial with a newer experimental variety bred by the Hop Breeding Company and known simply as HBC431, and is fermented with a combination of an historic flavourful English ale yeast and a modern West Coast American strain.

With its existing brewery at full capacity, Brighton Bier is now looking for a location and investment to open a new brewery in the city that would increase brewing capacity 400% to approximately 1m litres per year.

“We want to secure a location that will take Brighton Bier and brewing in our city to a new level – building an iconic brewery that will stand the test of time,” said director Stephen Whitehurst. “This year is about finding the right location in Brighton and the right investment to move forward.”