Big love and great beer as always,
Jimmy
Unity Brewing Founder
UNITY CODE OF CONDUCT
At Unity, we stand for togetherness and believe in treating all people with fairness, kindness, inclusion and equity. Our values are Together, Modern and Positive. We always strive to be a force for good - for our customers, our industry and the world overall.
Our Code of Conduct comprises the formal policy we have in place to enable and enforce this ambition in operational practice.
POLICY OVERVIEW
The purpose of this code of conduct (CoC) is to set guidelines around preemptive behaviours, outline conducts considered unacceptable and explain what to do about any violations of this code.
This CoC aims to inspire positive and acceptable behaviours and outlines behaviours and conduct that are not acceptable at any level.
WHO IS IT FOR?
This CoC applies to all employees, suppliers, volunteers, contractors and customers while on company property, on company time, at company sponsored events and festivals or as representatives of Unity Brewing Co at any time.
We expect all people for whom this policy applies to act with integrity, courtesy and respect for others.
HOW WE WORK
At Unity we are dedicated to providing an enjoyable, satisfying and effective experience at work. This means an environment without embarrassment, distress or harm for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion.
We do not tolerate harassment of employees, customers, or vendors in any form.
UNACCEPTABLE CONDUCT
We have zero tolerance for racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, violence, discrimination or harassment in any way, shape or form. These behaviours include but are not limited to -
This includes subtle behaviours or interactions in violation of any of the above, which can be just as harmful as more obvious ones.
WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE CONDUCT, IN THIS CONTEXT?
Isolated (non-continuous) incidents of unreasonable behaviour such as abruptness, sharpness or rudeness - whilst unacceptable - will generally not be considered to amount to a violation of this CoC. Nor will legitimate, constructive and fair feedback on a member of staff’s performance or behaviour at work.
However, individuals may want to let the other person know how their behaviour has made them feel in order to avoid a repeat of any behaviour causing discomfort at work. Their manager will be available to support and facilitate this if needed.
REPORTING A CONDUCT CONCERN
If you need to report a concern -
Whether you are an employee or a third party, if you feel a violation of this code of conduct has occurred or you think it may have occurred, please contact your manager directly or ops@unitybrewingco.com
Unity Brewing Co’s Leadership is fully committed to upholding this CoC and we will support you fully. After a concern is reported, the Leadership will respond to you in confidence and then begin the process of investigation, including gathering full details in a sensitive and, if necessary, anonymised, manner.
Any serious allegations of discrimination or harassment will be dealt with by an external HR company to ensure fair, transparent, non-biased action is taken.
If you are reported -
If you are approached as having (consciously or otherwise) acted in a way that might make your teammates feel unwelcome, listen with an open mind and avoid becoming defensive.
Remember that if someone offers you feedback, it likely took a great deal of courage for them to do so. The best way to respect that courage is to acknowledge your mistake, apologise, and move on — with a renewed commitment to do better.
That said, repeated or severe violations of this code can and will be addressed by our leadership, and can lead to disciplinary actions, including termination.
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS CODE OF CONDUCT
Failure to act within the terms of our Code of Conduct for our employees will result in appropriate disciplinary actions and process.
Failure to act within the terms of our Code of Conduct by guests to our business premises will result in being asked to leave the premises, and may result in a lifetime ban.
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After a lot of planning… we’re excited to reveal the new name for Collision, our 6.2% hazy IPA, one of our original and best loved beers: Only The Sea.
We love the beer more than ever - and we’re chuffed with its ever increasing reputation and popularity with our customers, as well as featuring in books by Matt Curtis and Adrian Tierney-Jones - but the name Collision has never felt quite right for a brewery that stands for togetherness.
So, five years on from its first naming, the time was right to reboot its name and artwork. Only the Sea - or OTS as we're already also referring to it as - reflects how it takes inspiration from the East and West coasts before bringing it all back home to our Southampton shores to become it's own thing.
It’s taken from French film director Claude Chabrol‘s quote about ‘new wave’ cinema - “There is no new wave, only the sea” - which for us, really reflects the idea of fluidity, fairness and the power of blending ideas.
Our senior designer Matt Canning has developed some knockout label art for Only The Sea, packed with characters around a ship’s steering wheel.
“We came up with the ship's wheel idea, with lots of characters collaboratively steering, giving a visual cue to Unity’s focus on togetherness,” says Matt.
Inside the can or glass, the beer itself is just the same - rich, soft and satisfying.
To keep Only The Sea company, we’ve given Unity’s other permanent beer Conflux - our flagship 4.8% hazy pale - a glow up, with new label art too. Representing the coming together of Southampton’s three rivers, it features a mermaid feeding chips to some seagull pals to showcase how well the beer goes with the all-time classic waterside meal.
"We wanted to inject some fun into our core beers and bring them in line with the other Unity can designs,” Matt explains.
We’re buzzing to get these into fridges, bars and bottleshops and spread a bit of Southampton feel all over the UK. We can’t wait to hear what you think!
ORDER ONLINE –
]]>2022 is set to be an exciting year down in Southampton
JANUARY SALE
First up, we're running a sale throughout the whole of January (until stocks last) so head over to our WEBSHOP and get stuck in. All the beer is fresh and on point, we're just clearing the decks a little to make room for all the exciting beers we have planned.
BEER
So what will we be brewing in 2022?! In '21 we really hit our stride with our Hazy IPA's and more modern West Coast goodness (see our 'California IPA's') so expect plenty more of all those hoppy delights you've come to expect from us. We've secured some seriously great hops this year so we're taking it up a level. We've also started our Lager program in earnest now our new tanks have been installed so look out for a hell of a lot more cold conditioned wonders from us too.
We're filling up the diary with some really exciting collaborations this year as well and will be combining these with taproom events to connect you even closer with the beers.
MIXER FESTIVAL
2022 sees the launch of our own little festivals in the from of SPRING MIXER and AUTUMN MIXER. Two seasonal festivals where we'll be inviting some of our all time favourite breweries to pour beer in our taproom. These will be 'free pour' style festivals where you just pay an entry fee and try as many different beers as you like. 12 different breweries pouring their own beer connecting you to the people that make them, plus of course great food and music. Tickets will be launched at the end of the month but in the meantime, put March 26th and September 24th in your diaries!
FESTIVALS & TAP TAKEOVERS
We're going to be spending a concerted effort to get out to as many of you as we can this year so expect to see us at way more tap takeovers, festivals and events this year. Meeting and having a beer with you lot is so awesome for us we can't wait. If you would like to see us at your local, drop us a line and we'll see what we can do.
TAPROOM EVENTS
We're putting together a whole program of taproom events this year including bringing in more guests like Charlie Herring Wines for tastings and food events, showcases and beer launches with breweries we're collaborating with and more multi-media events including art, film and more live music. Make sure you're following us on social media to get all the info when it comes out.
UNITY BEER CLUB
Our subscription club will be launching this year and will include a mixed box of all our releases each month plus a couple of core range fridge fillers delivered straight to your door. No hassle, with payment taken automatically once a month (though you'll be able to pause or cancel anytime). We'll also be offering a Conflux subscription for all those Conflux superfans out there. We're currently working on the back-end for this but if you would like to show your interest in advance, we'll organise something extra for you early birders.
CONFLUX
We've been brewing our flagship beer Conflux since day one but with all our special releases it's easy to neglect the beer that started it all for us, so we'll be giving it a lot more attention throughout this year with events, giveaways and more. It recently picked up a gold medal in the SIBA South East beer awards too so let's celebrate our favourite hazy pale ale!
COMMUNITY
We'll be continuing our work with the local community including the Southampton Food Club we host in our taproom every Tuesday. We'll also be creating some events in our taproom to help contribute to the community and the odd fundraising beer. One of the biggest projects we're working on in 2022 though is a Southampton hospitality inclusion group where we will be bringing together hospitality business in Southampton to tackle issues of harassment and promote inclusivity. This will be a work in progress but the aim will be to work towards making Southampton's hospitality businesses inclusive and safe places to work and socialise for everybody.
Have a great year,
Jimmy
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Tomorrow, we're celebrating our 5th Birthday here at Unity so we're taking the opportunity to look back over those 5 years and the people that have helped Unity be who we are today.
In the 5th and final instalment of our Unity High 5 series of long reads, I wanted to shine a light on our community and customers who ultimately we do all this for.
When I started Unity in 2016, I had a vision and a load of experience but very little money. I knew that in order to get this off the ground and make my dream of running my own brewery a reality, I had to bring some more people into the fold. So, after showing my business plan to a group of family and friends, we brought on 7 investors who helped fund the brewery, without these 7 wonderful people we never would have got off the ground and I'm eternally grateful for their trust and confidence in me.
When we decided that in order to expand and reach our full potential, equally in beer quality, output and the ability to have a safe, sustainable and inclusive environment for our staff, we realised we needed to take on some more investment. Diluting our shares in the brewery in order to bring on new investors was a tough decision but ultimately the right one as it led us down the path of becoming community owned! In 2019 we crowdfunded to build our new brewery and brought on another 300 investors, the vast majority of which are local to the brewery and continue to be a massive support. Our new brewery and taproom is dedicated to you.
We have a firm ethos of making beer we want you to enjoy. Beer is the social lubricant that helps you open up with friends, it's the relaxant that makes everything a little less of a chore after a hard day of work, it's unique in bringing ingredients together to create a drink that in turn brings people together. So, our focus is always to make sure we are creating beer that is fun, inclusive and delicious. We do what we do in the way that we do for you and I would like to thank you all for your support over the last 5 years. Seeing people enjoy our beers, be it posting them online or just seeing someone enjoy a pint over chats with friends makes all the hours and soul we put into this all worth it and gives us the motivation to make sure the next 5 years are even better!
I'd like to raise a glass to you our wonderful community of customers, here's to another 5 years of great beer and great times!
Jimmy
Founder & Head Brewer
Come and celebrate with us at the brewery tomorrow!, more details on the Facebook event HERE.
You can also keep an eye on (and use!) the hashtag #UnityHigh5 to see all the shenanigans we're getting up to in preparation for our birthday party.
]]>On the 16th of October, we're celebrating our 5th Birthday here at Unity (stick the date in your diary, we have an awesome day planned!) so we're taking the opportunity to look back over those 5 years and the people that have helped Unity be who we are today.
In our 4th instalment of long-reads celebrating the people that make Unity who we are, we bring it on home and I get to talk about our incredible staff that keeps these cogs turning and truly make us the company we are.
Not only are we incredibly lucky to have such a superb team, we have been fortunate enough to have had some great people come though and move on to pastures new, from taking a step up in their careers to other breweries to spending more time on their allotments (you know who you are ;) ), we're super grateful for all the work they put in to help us on our journey to be where we are today.
So let's introduce our current team and why they are so awesome.
Starting with our longest standing member of staff and Operations Manager Bolo Hooper. Bolo started with us towards the end of our first year to help out with taproom days and sales admin after being Head Chef and Beer Buyer at a local beer spot. He's since done pretty much every other job in the brewery apart from actually brewing and now is the glue that holds our who operation together. We've been buddies since we were teenagers and due to his unwavering professionalism, is the real exception to the rule of don't employ your mates.
Sara Hewlett our Sales & Marketing Manager started with us at the very end of last year and has already solidified herself as true Unity Family. Rarely will you ever meet someone so incredibly organised as Sara (how many notebooks mate?!) and it shows with her meticulous attention to detail. Chatting to us on social media? Popping down to a tap takeover or one of our trade customers placing an order? You'll be chatting to Sara.
Our brewer Matt Vearncombe has only been with us for 6 months and it really feels like years. Coming to us with some really great experience, he pretty much owns that brewhouse and is an unstoppable machine of productivity! His dedication, attention to detail and unwavering positivity shows in every can and keg of beer we make. If you're drinking it, chances are he's made it (yeah I do occasionally get in the brewhouse now and again to prove I can still do it!) and boy does he do a great job.
Visit our taproom? Then you'll know Freya. Freya Cochrane is our awesome Taproom Manager, the perfect welcome to our home in Southampton to enjoy a beer in our brewery. Freya came to us from Brewdog and is awesome and running tastings, sourcing our selection of guest products and making sure you have an incredible experience at our taproom.
We also have an incredible team of part-timers. Connie has been working in our taproom since we opened in our new site and is a supreme legend, Charlotte is the latest member of our taproom team and a true hospitality professional. Dan has just started learning the ropes as Brewery Assistant from a looooong time as a homebrewer and Mandy keeps our books like an absolute BOSS.
I also want to show some love to our designer Matt Canning who although is technically not a member of our staff but a contractor, he's an integral part of the family. Matt came to us after playing a gig we had at the brewery asking if he could design a label for us, quickly after I had him doing every single label. Now he is such an integral part of our brand, designing all of our output from beer labels and glasses to posters and can boxes.
Be sure to show our team some love next time you're here or communicating with us on socials, they all work incredible hard and have an equal part to play in getting that delicious beer into your hand.
Next weeks final instalment is all about you lot, our awesome customers and shareholders!
Jimmy
Come and celebrate with us at the brewery on Saturday 16th of October, more details on the Facebook event HERE.
You can also keep an eye on (and use!) the hashtag #UnityHigh5 to see all the shenanigans we're getting up to in preparation for our birthday party.
]]>First up is the awesome couple at the healm of one the UK's finest lager breweries, Lost & Grounded. Alex Troncoso and Annie Clements have been a huge support to us from before Unity started and Alex gave me a job at Camden Town Brewery. We were writing our business plans at the same time and I was lucky enough to get them to cast their eye over mine to check for any glaring problems (there were a few edits!). Our plans couldn't have been more different but here we both are today. I also have Alex to thank for showing me the delicacies and finesse of great lager brewing.
Secondly I want to give a shout out to Ben Ott, the co-founder and Brewing Director of 40ft Brewery. A qualified Master Brewer and Köln native, Ben pretty much taught me how to brew when we worked together at London Fields Brewery. His passion for beer and constant fun sense of optimism is always an inspiration.
The legend that is Bruce Gray from Left Handed Giant and Small Bar has supported us from day one. Not only has Bruce been free with advice on running a company, crowdfunding and generally making the best of the hustle, his former distribution company Big Beer gave us great exposure in Bristol and the west. Bruce also invited us to be involved in the Rainbow Project which connected us with the awesome Alvarado St Brewery in California who we continue to collaborate with.
Next up I want to show some love for Sam at Gipsy Hill Brewery. He's always given us awesome advice on the technical aspects of running a company. When I started Unity, I had plenty of experience in brewing and sales but nothing quite prepares you for running your own company which requires a whole different set of skills. We're planning a couple of really fun collaborations in the new year so keep an eye out for that!
Talking of collaborations, our buddies at Boxcar and Duration brewery have been our most prolific collaborators. The sharing of ideas, techniques and knowledge has really helped us develop our beers to where they are today. We also all built our new breweries at the same time (first brewery for Duration) and continue to share support and ideas.
Shout outs also have to go to local brewpubs Dancing Man Brewery and Steam Town for always lending us a hand or helping us out with ingredients, go check them out for the best food and house brewed beers in town.
Lastly I'd like to make some honorary mentions to our good friends and collaborators Pressure Drop, Deya, Verdant, Elusive, Track and Cloudwater who we continue to learn from and love spending time with.
Next week I'll be giving some well earned love to our incredible staff.
Jimmy
Come and celebrate with us at the brewery on Saturday 16th of October, more details on the Facebook event HERE.
You can also keep an eye on (and use!) the hashtag #UnityHigh5 to see all the shenanigans we're getting up to in preparation for our birthday party.
]]>By no means is this an exhaustive list of our customers and those I've missed out, it's not because we don't love and appreciate you, it's just that a blog can only be so long! This is a little shout out to those who have been the most supportive to use and helped shape who we are.
So let's get into it. First up has to be Overdraft Craft Beer & Taqueria. Their first site, situated in an old bank on Shirley High Street in Southampton (hence the name Overdraft) was the first place to pour our beers and where I worked for a short time whilst building our first brewery. They've been a huge support to us form day one and we even make their house beer - Stylus Golden Ale. The Shirley site (they have two, the other is in Winchester) also has a record store and they both play pretty much the best music in town. The tacos and other Mexican food is to die for and we're really excited that they will be serving it at our 5th Birthday Party! Overdraft Records will also have a pop-up record store and will be DJing.
Next up, Bitter Virtue! These guys are one of the first craft beer shops in the country and still have the most awesome selection. The owners Chris and Anne, who are local beer legends, are actually shareholders in Unity so we're obviously biased but whenever we need our Belgian or German beer fix, it's the first place we hit up.
Cloud Wine on Bedford Place in Southampton also deserve a big shout out and another place I once worked on the list. Southampton's quirky wine shop, with quirky staff, excellent music and the most random selection of drinks you'll ever find. Scratch under the surface though and you'll find some absolutely incredible wine and a superb local beer selection (including the biggest selection of Unity beer outside of our taproom!).
A list of excellent Southampton beer bars that have been a great support to us wouldn't be complete without The Butchers Hook. Southampton's original craft beer spot and the bar that started the craze for Micro-Pubs in Southampton. Always a brilliant selection, always a super welcoming atmosphere. Whilst we're on Micro-Pubs, The Bookshop Alehouse has to have a shout out. A proper local bar with honestly the best kept cask in the city and as you can imagine, lots of books.
Not strictly speaking in Southampton, though we do also supply their very nice B&B in Southampton (check out The Pig in The Wall) is The Pig in the New Forest. One of the best places to eat in Hampshire and with a kitchen garden to make any allotment owner weep, we started supplying these guys really early on and they haven't stopped cheerleading us since.
Lastly in Southampton before I give a shout out to those a little further afield is Bitterne Box Co. These guys do incredible veg boxes delivered to your door and now have a really wonderful shop in Bitterne Triangle. Since they started selling our beer, they have been one of our best customers and biggest supporters. Need great beer delivered with your veg? You know where to go.
Further west along the South Coast we have to show some love for The Butchers Dog (one in Wimborne and one in Poole). Laura and Dean are some of the most awesome people in the industry and faces you'll often see at the best beer festivals. I have to say, I think The Butchers Dog in Poole is the best craft beer bar on the South Coast.
A list of our most supportive customers has to include our amazing wholesale partners who deliver our beer to bars and shops all over the country. We work with a few but we have to shout out Pigs Ears and Jolly Good Beer especially. Always a consistently excellent selection, always showing us some love and always getting our beer out quick, fresh and in awesome condition.
Realising I could write a huge essay on our incredible customers, I'm gonna keep the rest short and sweet. Big shouts to our London fam Grace Land Bars (go check out The Axe, The Kings Arms and The Earl Of Essex amongst others), and Clapton Craft (brilliant bottle shops all over London). Recent besties Fuggles Beer Cafe and Dukes Halifax we have to thank for all the love they are showing us. Final local mentions have to include The Winchester General Store, Inn The Park, Tipsy Pig, Clockwork, Olafs Tun, Steam Town and The Dancing Man.
Next week I'll be writing about the Breweries around the country who have supported us, given us advice, mentored us, collaborated with and lent us ingredients when we've messed up our ordering!
High five!
Jimmy
Come and celebrate with us at the brewery on Saturday 16th of October, more details on the Facebook event HERE.
You can also keep an eye on (and use!) the hashtag #UnityHigh5 to see all the shenanigans we're getting up to in preparation for our birthday party.
]]>Each week leading up to our Birthday Party, I will be writing a blog celebrating the different groups of people who have formed who we are, be it our incredible staff, other breweries, our shareholders and of course you the drinkers. The community around us is what makes Unity who we are so I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in.
To kick us off, I wanted to give you a brief history of Unity, why we started and what we represent. Next up I'll be talking about our wonderful trade customers who have been so awesome in getting our beer into your hands.
Unity was started by myself Jimmy, with the help of investment from family and friends (our first shareholders!), with the intention of creating unifying beer that brought people and ingredients together for enjoyment and relaxation with a focus on social and environmental responsibility.
I had spent some time working for other breweries in London and Hampshire and wanted to create something that fit exactly how I wanted to do things, give me a creative outlet and reflect my values. So after sharing my business plan with a few people and finding premises in Portswood in Southampton, we got to work building Unity in 2016, with our first brew in October of that year. That's the short story, the longer one is for another time.
Unity moved forward more than I could have imagined and so we needed to find a new home. In 2018 we decided to crowdfund to build our new brewery here in Northam in Southampton and in 2019 we welcomed over 300 new shareholders into the fold, at the same time becoming 55% community owned. This has allowed us not only to create more and better quality beer but to also create a destination taproom that is truly a community space. Shortly after starting production at our new site, the pandemic hit which has given us challenges we never thought we would face but we're still here, still growing (slowly and sustainably) and are making better beer than ever so I couldn't be more proud.
Now with 10 members of incredible staff, an awesome community of drinkers, customers and collaborators and beer and a brand that truly represents who we are, the next 5 years are looking pretty exciting! Keep your eyes peeled for the next blog on our awesome trade customers that get our beer into your hands.
Come and celebrate with us at the brewery on Saturday 16th of October, more details on the Facebook event HERE.
You can also keep an eye on (and use!) the hashtag #UnityHigh5 to see all the shenanigans we're getting up to in preparation for our birthday party.
]]>Say what? Unity have brewed a TIPA?! Oh yes
We said we would never do it, we say a lot of things to be fair but when a great idea presents itself to us, there's no way we're saying no. We've been talking about doing a bigger version of Collision for a long time, maybe just double dry hopped? Or maybe a double IPA version? Those were good ideas but Collision deserves more, so we went all the way.
Super Collider, our first TIPA is available on the webshop now and in our Taproom from Thursday. It's Collision after consuming way too much Beefcake 5000, a big 10% Spelt IPA hopped with Mosaic and Columbus. It's all juicy mango, bright citrus, rich honey and a little sweaty dankness. Just enough bitterness to remind you of the silly amount of hops we put in keeps it all together.
We're crazy excited about this beer and hope you will be too!
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That's right, no longer will you have to play English weather roulette with your night out, from Thursday we're open again for indoor drinking, right in the heart of our brewery amongst the tanks that make the beer in your glass. Drinking experiences don't get fresher than this. 11 taps of the freshest Unity beer, a fridge full of cans and delights from our brewery friends and an array of non-beery beverages for your buddies who might not be as into the joy of water, malt hops and yeast as you.
Due to having all this extra space, there's no need to book so just head on down and we'll grab you a table and take your order. On top of this, our taproom is also heated! Drinks, indoors and not freezing, who would've thought. For those sunny days (please more sunny days, it's nearly summer right?!) our beer yard remains open for that brewery alfresco experience like no other.
We built our brewery around our taproom, a welcoming and inclusive space for you to enjoy our beer at it's absolute freshest in an environment that get's you as close to the beer as it gets. It's been a weird one having our taproom space as a glorified warehouse but we couldn't be more excited to welcome you indoors once more.
For more info on our faclilities, opening times and directions, hit the taproom link at the top of this page.
Opening hours:
Thursday 4-10.30pm
Friday 4-10.30pm
Saturday 12-10.30pm
No booking needed!
This week marks the reopening of our onsite Taproom at the brewery. After 5 long months of closure, lock down, pivoting into a retail outlet and more we finally welcomed people back yesterday evening for a few beers on the spot where they were brewed.
Our Taproom has always been at the heart of our brewery. Whether you've shared beers with loved ones huddled under blankets in the cold in our original unit across town, or dropped in with your friends on a balmy weekend to our current location in Northam, the intrinsic unifying power of beer has always been there!
In our newly decked our beer garden we can welcome up to 40 guests at once for that brewery fresh experience that we've all missed for so long. With 11 lines of the freshest Unity beer, a curated range of delicious guest beers, wines and ciders there is always something to suit every taste.
We will always do our best to accommodate walk ins, but it is best to book ahead to avoid disappointment, so why not save your spot in the garden? Hit this link for our handy Booking Request Form and we'll get back to you as soon as possible to get a date in the diary - we've missed out on so much without our friends and family so let's make up for lost time.
Come what may, we will always be together, through beer.
Earlier in the month we were proud to release our first collaboration of the year Jupiter! Brewed with our good friends at Queer Brewing, this seasonal IPA was a beautiful mixture of bright, pale malts, juicy Citra, Mosaic and Huell Melon with an addition of rosehips which gave a beautiful depth of flavour.
Founded in 2019 by Lily Waite, the Queer Brewing Project aims to provide a platform for the LGBTQ+ community within the beer industry, championing inclusion and equality in a massively male, heterosexual, cisgender industry.
Working with breweries across the UK and around the world, Queer Brewing has been a force for positive change - challenging beer drinkers to look past the beer in the glass in a welcoming and fun way - and we hope that we have achieved that with Jupiter IPA.
But whilst we love nothing more than putting out a delicious beer that everyone loves to drink, share and celebrate we wanted this collaboration to have a meaningful, progressive and positive effect in our own community in Southampton, which is where our friends at People's Pride Southampton came in.
People's Pride Southampton (PPS) is a local grassroots charity working in Southampton and the surrounding areas providing outreach services to our local LGBTQ+ community and their allies.
With a focus on promoting the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community the PPS run a regular market stall where people can come for advice, education or reassurance - and much like Unity Brewing Co, togetherness and a sense cohesion is at the core of their ethos.
The PPS currently have plans to host an outdoor event in the summer of 2022 in the middle of Southampton - a true people's pride, free to access and open to all. To help them achieve this we are pleased to announce we are donating 50% of the proceeds of Jupiter IPA to the PPS to help them achieve their fundraising target for the event. Find out more about them here, and how you can help take part.
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What is it that makes a beer label so special? How does it make you feel when you see it on the shelf in a bottle shop? What is that brewery trying to communicate with you?
These are all the questions that we ask ourselves on some level when picking our favourite brands and beers. If you ask most drinkers why they love a particular beer or brewery they will with any likelihood tell you it's because they love the taste of that particular beer, or that the level of quality from that brewery sets it apart from the competition.
And this is certainly true, but as many chefs will tell you, you eat and drink with your eyes and the power of an eye catching label plays a larger part in what you drink than you may first think!
At Unity Brewing Co we have spent the last four and a half years tirelessly developing and improving our recipes in order to produce beers that are unifying, refreshing and ultimately satisfying. Another huge part of our process is to ensure that we present our beers in a way that is fun, approachable and in a way that encourages you to be part of our community of beer lovers.
We are pleased to say, that with this week's release of our latest generation of core range labels we can achieve this. Reflecting on the journey of our core range Founder and Head Brewer Jimmy Hatherley says: “I am so proud of the journey our business has taken over the past four years, and I have always strived to build upon and improve every aspect of the brewery - from our recipes, to the service in our taproom and of course how our beer is presented in the market. Matt Canning is an integral part of our team, and his work is key to communicating who we are as a company.”
Working with our long term collaborator Matt Canning we have refreshed, refined and redesigned the look of fan favourites Conflux Pale Ale, Collision IPA and Prinzen Lagerbier, bringing the design on the outside of the can in line with the quality of the beer on the inside.
Matt had this to say about the new series of labels: “Continuing on from the soft 80s/90s nostalgic aesthetic we currently had for the core beers, we wanted to make the beer names part of the artwork rather than the artwork focus being just a background image with text overlaid - and importantly to really hone in what Unity is all about. I think what we've ended up with marries well with the can contents - soft, friendly and delicious!"
A real turning point for our design process came in the autumn of 2020 with the release of seasonal beers Ruska and Cosmic Ballet, building the names and styles of the beer into the image to create a wholesome, engaging and ultimately fun experience.
The unveiling of a new beer design is always an exciting time at the brewery, and one of the most rewarding parts of releasing a new beer is the fantastic feedback we always receive from our customers, followers and friends within the community - so with that in mind, here's to many more vibrant, fun and enjoyable labels in the future!
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Our first release of 2021! This super sessionable, super juicy Pale Ale is loaded with Amarillo, Citra and Simcoe for a full on hop hit without the alcohol. Clocking in at a modest 3.2% Little Pleasures is crisp, refreshing and easy to come back to. It doesn't matter if you are locked down at home, there's no reason to miss out on life's Little Pleasures.
East India Pale Ale
Bottleshop
We are pleased to announce our onsite Bottleshop will be reopening from Friday 8th January! As an essential business we can open for trade including takeaways, growler fills and Click & Collect too!
In order to keep everyone safe we will now operate as a kiosk from the main brewery shutter - please continue to observe Social Distancing rules, wear a face covering and only one customer at the kiosk at a time
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We are also open on Christmas Eve for last minute growler fills, takeouts and present buying - come and say hi from 12-7pm!
Christmas Gift Packs
Are you still searching for a small stocking filler? Or maybe just a little token of appreciation to say thanks at Christmas? Fret not! Try one of our 4 pack gift sets featuring our delicious core range of beers and our big seasonal Stout Hug It Out - rich with cacao, hazelnut and vanilla for a truly decadent treat.
Fresh Conflux!
The centrepiece of our core range: Conflux Pale Ale. A fresh batch has rolled off the canning line this morning and is tasting juicy, bright and refreshing as ever! We are so pleased with the improvements we've made to this beer over the past 12 months - a new yeast, more hops and a tweaked malt base make for a delicious beer perfect for Christmas. Available by the can or the case depending on how much you want to treat yourself.
Guest Beers
As we head towards the big day a steady stream of guest beers keep arriving at the brewery - hand picked and selected from the best breweries in the country - always direct from their cold store to ours for ultimate freshness.
This week we have treats from Verdant including a rich Export Stout and hop saturated NEIPA, a fresh IPA from Lewes bound buds The Beak and a last minute hop drop from north London pals Pressure Drop.
Mixed Cases
Still undecided on what to drink on Christmas day in your three household bubble? Our mixed cases are all still available on the webshop with something to satisfy all tastes. Are you a fan of big hoppy IPAs? Try our IPA & Pale cases, but what about your favourite Unity Core Range heroes? Don't panic, we've got one for them too! Or do you just want a selection of everything we've got? Check out our Brewer's Selection Box.
So onwards towards the Christmas break - thank you again for all of your ongoing support during the most difficult year we've had as a business. Lockdowns, tiers, table service and more! We like to think of our brewery as being a community which has the power to unify people together through beer, and as proof of this we are still here, still brewing and still together.
So let's raise a glass to togetherness - put your feet up, pull your loved ones close and fill a glass with something truly delicious.
Cheers!
Max
Our new single hop series "4 Eva" celebrating our latest hop crushes. Each edition takes a different hop variety and we pair it with one of our classic Pale Ale bases to showcase the beautiful nuances that hops bring to our beers. First up is the tropical tour de force Azacca 4 Eva. Expect full on juice, ripe stone fruit and a soft, fluffy mouthfeel - out now!
Christmas Gift Packs
Our last batch of Christmas gift packs were such a success that they flew out of the brewery and are now sold out!
But fret not, we've just added some 4 pack gift sets to the webshop featuring our core range of beers and our seasonal Stout Hug It Out which are available here.
Mixed Cases
Still undecided on what to drink on Christmas day in your three household bubble? Our mixed cases are all still available on the webshop with something to satisfy all tastes. Are you a fan of big hoppy IPAs? Try our IPA & Pale cases, but what about your favourite Unity Core Range heroes? Don't panic, we've got one for them too! Or do you just want a selection of everything we've got? Check out our Brewer's Selection Box.
That's all we've got this week! Stay tuned for more exciting news from the brewery - thank you to everyone for your support over the last few weeks, we've been truly humbled with all of your orders and that you want Unity Brewing Co to be part of your seasonal celebrations.
So wrap up, go out for that windy walk on a cold morning, get those decorations up if you haven't already and open a bottle or can of something nice and settle into the season!
Cheers!
Max
Donate:
US/International
Black Lives Matter
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019
National Police Accountability Project
A non-profit with the central mission to promote the accountability of law enforcement officers and their employers
https://www.nlg-npap.org/donate/
Love The Land
A therapy fund for black women and girls, ensuring people get help they need
https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/NzU4MzM=
Colour Of Change
America's largest online racial justice organization, campaigning to build real power for black communities
https://colorofchange.org/
Movement For Black Lives
The Movement for Black Lives is made up of over 150 organizations that coordinate actions, messages and campaigns
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/movement-4-black-lives-1
UK
Stop Watch
Research and action for fair and accountable policing
https://www.gofundme.com/f/StopWatch-Campaign-for-Fair-Accountable-Policing?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet
UK Black Lives Matter
https://www.gofundme.com/f/ukblm-fund
THINGS THAT ARE FREE!
Watch Videos!
Stream these videos and the advertising money goes straight to the cause. Start here and search ‘Stream To Donate’ for more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPC0J9z92-0
Call it out
If you witness racism, call it out. It’s not a matter of opinion, it’s inhuman. Just a simple ‘you know that’s racist’ goes a long way. People need to understand that if you try to argue that simple statement, it means you’re part of the problem.
Understand your own prejudices and learn how to be better
Racism is a systemic problem and rooted in our society so it's unfortunately pretty normal to have some kind of prejudice, being aware of it is the first step, the next step is to rid yourself of it. If you have racist behaviour or find yourself having prejudices, don’t hide from it and perpetuate it, change it, be a better person. Ask yourself, do those words or behaviour harm or upset someone, if there is any doubt, stop doing it and ask yourself why you were doing it in the first place.
Sign a petition!
Being from Southampton, we know how important it is to Be In That Number! Get your name down, have your voice heard. There are a huge amount of petitions out there right now but here’s a link to 9 to get you started:
https://www.capitalfm.com/news/black-lives-matter-petitions-to-sign-uk/
Speak up online
There are a huge amount of voices showing solidarity online right now but there can never be too many. Be in that number people (you starting to get it?).
Other Resources:
Stand Up To Racism
http://www.standuptoracism.org.uk/
Southampton Stand Up To Racism
https://www.facebook.com/SouthamptonSUTR/?hc_ref=SEARCH
BUY BEER!
Stay tuned for further details of our brew of Black Is Beautiful. You can find out more including the other breweries getting involved here: https://blackisbeautiful.beer/
Love and solidarity,
Jimmy
So, you guys staying at home are gonna need some beers to get you through it right? You'll be very happy to hear our webshop is open and full of tasty goodies ready to ship to you in 48 hours. If we're going to weather this storm we need all the orders we can get, pubs and restaurants having to close has been pretty catastrophic to our business so when you need to stock up your fridge, place an order on our webshop and feel all nice and fluffy that you're helping a small, independent business stay afloat.
We not only have a full selection of fresh Unity beer available, we also have up to 50 different guest beers from our friends, cider from some of our favourite producers, soft drinks and some other local produce to get stuck in to.
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Our new web shop not only has our usual stock of fresh Unity cans and merch, it also has a carefully curated line up of beers from our favourite breweries - all searchable by style - and wine, cider and soft drinks from some of our friends.
So, hit the Shop button above and get cracking.
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