Bluestone is now a SALSA + Beer accredited Brewery, having worked really hard over the past year it has meant that the SALSA audit was passed with flying colours!
Being one of only 10 Breweries in Wales to achieve this so far, Emily of Bluestone Brewery tells Welsh Country what it means to them.
“We’re pretty happy with the award but what is SALSA plus Beer? we hear you ask…
Written by experienced food safety experts, SALSA is a robust and effective food safety certification scheme designed for smaller food producers and suppliers like us.
A SALSA plus Beer audit has been developed in association with Cask Marque, to offer small and micro-sized brewers a Standard tailored to the scale and structure of their operation. The audits are undertaken by specially trained auditors with extensive experience of the brewing industry.
It’s a huge reassurance to any of our customers that we are taking every step possible to ensure that our beers are of the best quality at all times. The audit involved a lot of paperwork, a few funny hairnets (and a beard net for Tom!) and lots of “quality control taste testing”. We’re really proud of the whole team for working so hard towards achieving this qualification, but a special shout out to Simon who spent months in front of his computer filling out forms and making sure that the team stayed on track. He’s very happy to now be back out in the brewery instead of the office!”
Back at the beginning of Covid lockdown Welsh Country wrote about Bluestone Brewery turning beer into some very special vinegar. Read the article: https://www.welshcountry.co.uk/welsh-food-drink-95/. Things have progressed or should we say distilled and is nearly ready to go on sale with the labels being printed.
Watch video: https://www.facebook.com/Bluestonebrewingcompany/videos/565856584583753
This is a superb example of artisan companies working together creating a big positive from what could have been a very big negative of having to pour beer down the drain in March 2020. Working with Orkney Craft Vinegar who provided so much advice and also the “mother vinegar” (think of sourdough bread starter) s plus plenty of time & care from In the Welsh Wind – the result is a vinegar suitable for culinary and cocktail use… Welsh Cask Vinegar.
So there are many sunny aspects at Bluestone Brewery but they need this practically as well as metaphorically. So thanks to the recent sunny weather the solar panels on top of the Brewery and wildflower roofs on top of our stage & compost toilet block are doing a great job of helping to make the brewery more energy and ecologically sustainable.
Emily commented: “We may only be a small business but little things like this make a big difference if we all do our bit.“
