Brewers from all over the country gathered to help Batemans celebrate our 150th anniversary.
Representatives from international, national, regional, family, and craft breweries met in Batemans’ 200-year-old windmill, where they enjoyed a traditional Lincolnshire lunch, featuring local specialties such as stuffed chine and haslet. All dishes were made with Batemans beers, with the highlight being Lincolnshire sausages marinated in Batemans 5G, our newly launched 4.2% ABV beer.
The lunch began with Jackie Bateman saying grace, followed by a welcome speech from Stuart Bateman, who expressed his desire for the day to be a celebration of all British breweries, not just Batemans.
After lunch, Harry Bateman, Stuart’s son and Production Brewer at Beavertown Brewery, recited a poem written for George Bateman’s memorial service in 2007. This was followed by an amusing speech from Keith Bott MBE, who shared entertaining anecdotes about his drinking adventures with Stuart.
The afternoon concluded with an inspirational talk from Kriss Akabusi, MBE, centred on his triumph at the 1991 Athletics World Championships. His speech culminated with a video of the race that had all 150 guests on their feet.
After the event, Simon Theakston of Theakston’s Brewery said, “It really was a testimony to Batemans that so many of the great English brewing companies were there; it truly was a joyous occasion.” Tom McMullen of McMullen’s Brewery added, “It was a good old-fashioned party fuelled by beer and longstanding friendships.”
Bring on 175 years!
