NEWS

Tomos Watkin's recipe in True Taste Magazine

Chilli sausage and Tomos Watkin’s Cwrw Gaeaf cassoulet
PREP: 20 mins, COOK: 1hr

Add a little spice to this warming dish with award winning sausages. Tomos Watkin’s Cwrw Gaeaf ale is the perfect accompaniment.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

8 chilli pork sausages from the traditional Welsh Sausage Company
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 rashers smoked streaky bacon, diced
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
300ml Cwrw Gaeaf strong brown ale
1 x 400g tin of cooked cannellini beans, drained
1 dessert spoon muscovado sugar
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper

1) Pre-heat oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3.

2) Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish. Add the sausages and fry until browned all over. Remove and put to one side.

3) Add the onion, garlic and bacon and fry until softened. Return the sausages along with the chopped tomatoes, beer, thyme and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and place in the oven. Cook for about 40mins

4) Remove from the oven and add the beans. Cook for a further 15mins uncovered until the beans are heated through and the juices are starting to thicken. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with creamy mashed potatoes.

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Tomos Watkin's in Swansea Life Magazine

Tomos Watkin's in Swansea Life Magazine

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Tomos Watkin's in Swansea Bay Business Life Magazine (Click to enlarge)

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Tomos Watkin's in The USA

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Brewery scoops top award at business night

HURNS Brewing Company was the toast of the inaugural Regional Business Awards at Llanelli's new Parc y Scarlets stadium.

The Swansea-based firm, which owns the Tomos Watkin Brewery, walked off with the Export Award, sponsored by FS4B, as well as the evening's top prize - the Swansea Bay Business of the Year 2009, sponsored by Swansea Bay Partnership in association with the South Wales Evening Post. More than 300 people from across the area gathered at the Scarlets' new stadium for the awards, organised to celebrate the achievements of local firms across Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot.

BBC presenters Roy Noble and Claire Summers hosted the black tie event, which was sponsored by Swansea Bay Partnership in association with the South Wales Evening Post.

Hurns is the largest independent distributor of beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks in South Wales and employs a total of 75 people. The company exports beers to countries as far afield as America, Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, Denmark and Spain.

Connie Parry, chief executive officer of Hurns,
said she was delighted with the awards.

"I'm absolutely over the moon," she added.

"I'm proud, delighted and really chuffed to pieces."

As for the secret of the company's success?

She said: "A combination of sheer determination and having fabulous products."

Chairman of Swansea Bay Partnership and leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Derek Vaughan, said: "The evening was an opportunity to recognise and reward the excellence and world-class businesses right here on our doorstep in Swansea Bay.

"The quality and quantity of this year's entrants has been extremely pleasing."

The category winners were:
New Business of the Year, sponsored by NFU Mutual - Wolfestone Translation;

Environmental Award, sponsored by Eco Technology -Dragon Feeds; Independent Retailer of the Year, sponsored by West Wales Chamber of Commerce - Nolan uPVC;

Corporate Social Responsibility Award, sponsored by UK Steel Enterprise - LBS Builders Merchants; Training and Development Award, sponsored by Careers Wales West -

Derwen Construction, and Innovation and Technology Award, sponsored by Carmarthenshire Training Sir Gar - Connaught Engineering.

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Tomos Watkin's Cwrw Gaeaf in Country Life Magazine

Leslie Geddes Brown has included Tomos Watkins' Cwrw Gaeaf in her recipe for Carbonnade (northern French slow beef stew cooked in beer).

To read the recipie click here

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ReMARKable Palate #152: A Powerful Taste of Wales

Click Here to listen to an interview between American chef Mark C. Tafoya
and Connie Parry from Tomos Watkins at the Fancy Food Show in New York.

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Hurns feature in Colin Pressdee's popular 'Food Wales' book.

Food Wales - a second helping is Colin Pressdee's latest culinary journey around Wales discovering over 150 of the best producers, farmers' markets and shops and over 175 places to eat. This redesigned format guides you through Wales in four regions with over 160 colour photographs.

Colin also provides an A to Z of Welsh food. The book will be available at the end of September with 192 pages in paperback format.

Click Here for details

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Cwrw Haf in chow.com - Summer Beers We're Hot On.

www.chow.com

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Hurns Brewing Company Awarded Beverage Testing Institute Gold Medal

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Hurns magic lager is voted 2008 Wales Regional Winner by Tesco

Swansea based brewer, The Hurns Brewing Company, is celebrating after its bottled Magic Lagyr (lager) came out as the Tesco 2008 Wales regional winner in a blind tasting of new Welsh bottled beers. Judging was carried out earlier this year by a panel of industry experts and top food journalists on behalf of Tesco supermarket's annual Drinks Awards with the award ceremony itself taking place at the Kensington Roof Gardens in London last Friday (19 October).

"We are absolutely thrilled. We actually heard the news while in Las Vegas at the American National Beer Wholesalers Association convention. We were the only Welsh brewer represented at the event, where our head brewer, David Campbell, led a couple of well received tutored tastings on a variety of British beer styles for our American 'cousins'," said Connie Parry, who co-owns Hurns with her brother Philip.

"Knowledge of this prestigious award from Tesco gave us a magic finale to a very successful week and we were the toast of Vegas. Our American customers were suitably impressed as they were all well aware of the high profile Tesco enjoys in the UK".

Now in its 15th year it was the largest ever Tesco Drinks Awards, with over 400 products - all of them never before listed at a national level. Dan Jago, Tesco Category Director Beers Wines and Spirits, commented, "At Tesco we are committed to bringing new, exciting products to the market. Great drinks deserve shelf-space and a chance to gain access to the UK consumer, and that is exactly what these Awards are designed to achieve."

Since it saved the Tomos Watkin brewery in 2002, Hurns has enjoyed a great deal of brewing success, including two awards from True Taste of Wales for its bottled beers and numerous CAMRA ( Campaign for Real Ale) Awards for its cask conditioned ales.

Currently there are five varieties of bottled beers in the Tomos Watkin range as well as the increasingly popular Taffy Apples Cider and several seasonal varieties of cask ale, such as, Cwrw Haf, Cwrw Santa and Dewi Sant.

As a result of the Las Vegas trip, Hurns is about to send its first order of beer to their new importers in the USA, following a deal with Boston-based drinks distributor, St Killian and a glowing report from the 'Beer Advocate' - the definitive guide to beer in America.

"It is a very exciting time for us. Our initial US distribution contract was for 12 states but this new contract will see our beers being sold across America in all 50 states in independent retailers, restaurants and delicatessens and now this Tesco award will hopefully lead to a much bigger presence for us here at home too" said Connie. "It has been a lot of hard work and we have had great support from the Welsh Assembly Government which, through events such as St David's Day in New York, enabled us to get our beers noticed in America."

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Connie Parry nominated for Lloyds Tsb First Women Awards

The shortlists for the 2008 First Women Awards, held by the CBI and Real Business magazine in association with Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, are published today - and feature pioneering businesswomen across manufacturing, science, business services and finance. For the first year, the awards also honour trailblazing women in the public sector.

The First Women Awards, established in 2005, are the annual celebration of pioneering businesswomen. Patron Sarah Brown says: "For me, what's so inspirational about the First Women Awards is that they celebrate pioneering women; successful role-models who have broken new ground and opened up opportunities for other women."

The full Manufacturing shortlist is:

Leyla Edwards, founder/CEO, KK Finefoods plc
Connie Parry, CEO & finance director, Hurns Beer Company Ltd
Linda Miller, senior project manager – train system, Tube Lines
Rosalind Murray, operations manager, BAE Systems – Submarines Solutions

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