First Ealing Micropub Planned For Northfields

Will be based in the former bookshop The Owl and The Pussycat

Two Ealing teachers, who're also beer fanatics, are hoping to turn a former bookshop on Northfield Avenue into a 'micropub' and brewery.

Micropubs are small freehouses aimed at the local community, they mainly serve cask ales, promote conversation and shun electrical entertainment.

CAMRA member, Mark Yarnell along with colleague, Paul Nock, who both teach at Greenford High School, has always wanted to open his own brewery and believes this is an ideal spot.

He says: '' We will differ from normal pubs in being much more community-centred.  We will brew on-site in small scales and welcome customer's input in future recipe development, helping to brew. We would like for as many people as possible to be as passionate as we are about beer and brewing and will publish our recipes for local homebrewers to use (and improve on), possibly selling measured quantities of grain and hops to allow this,  We hope to make a harvest ale each year with locally grown hops (I have some on my allotment to start us off in Autumn).  We hope to educate by bringing unusual and extinct beers to the public.  The (Perivale-based) Durden Park Brewing Circle published a book of Old-time recipes which we intend to take inspiration from.''

They plan tol keep The Owl and The Pussycat as the name for the pub, but will brew under their own label - Marko Paulo.

Mark tells us more details about their plans:

''We will not have televison sets, radiograms or amplified music.  We will not compete with local establishments by cooking meals - besides, the brewery will occupy the whole back room - but if we do decide to provide food (beyond crisps and nuts) we will use local artisan shops.  In the main, we are a place for people to come to for excellent beer and good company, not for watching football.

''Real ale has a short lifespan and we will never sell past-its-best beer.  We plan to serve 4 or 5 different real ales.  We can do this by using smaller casks than most pubs use, or most breweries provide, so our beer will always be fresh - it will travel about 20 feet from mash-tun to glass!

''We will also sell cider and perry and have consulted the experts from CAMRA to help with selection.  We will stock a small selection of wines.

'' We will produce home-made soft drinks such as ginger beer and some "country" wines such as Elderflower Champagne (although we can't use that name so we'll probably call it "Elderflower Fizz")

The application has gone to Ealing Council for change of use and Mak and Paul are hoping residents will support it. Comments can be made here or via their website

If approved they are hoping The Owl and The Pussycat will be serving the local community in July.

5th May 2016