THE STORY OF BEER AND BREAD

‘Small Beer and the Upper Crust’
A Focus Day at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum
Sunday 14 September 2008

The fascinating history of brewing and breadmaking will be explored during a special Focus Day at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton, near Chichester on Sunday 14 September. The event will cover history, mysteries, and contemporary brewing and baking, with a chance to try some all-important samples!

The activities will be based in and around the original historic buildings on the Museum’s 50 acre downland site. The day will include talks, demonstrations, samples, hands-on activities, and a couple of contemporary trade stands to browse and buy. The exploration of the history of breadmaking and brewing will go right back to the Iron Age and Roman periods, with demonstrations by Butser Ancient Farm, complete with Iron Age round house. A number of the Museum’s houses will host demonstrations from other historical periods: this will include medieval times; Tudor times, including an insight into life in a late 16th century ‘ordinary’ (pub); and Victorian times, recreating a typical working class Sunday, in addition to exploring innovations in baking and the ongoing importance of beer.

Contemporary brewing and baking techniques will be showcased by Slindon Bakery, which itself dates back to Victorian times, and Ballards Brewery who will be taking a close look at the mysteries of yeast, with a chance to watch it growing under a microscope. There will also be representatives from CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) talking with visitors about their work, including their national inventory of old pub interiors and exteriors, and their campaign to save rural pubs and keep them as a lifeline in remote areas.

To demonstrate the importance of wood in all the baking and brewing processes, there will be a faggot (bundle of firewood) making demonstration by the Museum’s woodland crafts interpreter. Visitors will have a chance to find out about the importance of careful coppicing, and faggot making – a very specific skill – vital for the fires needed for brewing and baking.

For younger visitors, there will be other activities, including a ‘Mystery of Yeast’ trail around the Museum site. And thanks to Ballards Brewery, there will be a chance to have a go at growing yeast for themselves.

The Museum is open for the ‘Small Beer and the Upper Crust’ Focus Day from 10.30am to 6.00pm. The Museum is open daily until 23 December, and then from December 26 until January 1 for the ‘Sussex Christmas’ event. Daily admission is adults £8.50, over 60s £7.50, children £4.50, family £23.30, under 5’s free.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The award-winning Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has over 45 historic building exhibits and is designated by the Government for the outstanding importance of its collections. Exhibits include a medieval farmstead; a working watermill producing wholemeal stoneground flour; exhibitions focusing on traditional building techniques and agriculture; historic gardens, farm livestock and a working Tudor kitchen. The Museum runs a well-established programme of courses in building conservation and rural crafts.  There is a café which uses the Museum’s own flour and a shop with gifts and books on countryside and buildings themes.  The modern Downland Gridshell houses the Museum’s building conservation centre and artefact collection. There is a daily tour at 1.30pm when the Museum is open, and an appointments system for visits to the collections for research purposes.

NOTE TO EDITORS

Reporters and photographers are welcome at the Museum. For further information call the Museum information line on 01243 811348 or contact Cathy Clark, Marketing Officer

Tel: 01243 811014.
Fax: 01243 811475
Email: marketing@wealddown.co.uk.

Full details about the Museum and its activities can be found at www.wealddown.co.uk 

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