A long-standing Romsey brewery has embarked on a fresh venture with the opening of its own taproom.
For the first time ever, staff at Flack Manor Brewery in Romsey Industrial Estate, Greatbridge Road will be pulling their own pints after nearly 12 years of supplying beers to the surrounding area.
Following a soft launch in November last year, owners and founders Nigel Welsh, Anne Stantiford and Terry Baker decided to officially open the taproom in early March, converting the space which was formerly used as the brewery's shop.
Chantal Jackson-Tosswill, 23, joined the brewery as taproom manager around the same time to help spearhead the new project. She said: "With the length of time the brewery has been here and the fact we brew all our beer in-house it just made sense to open the taproom really. It's been hugely popular so far but as we're new it's all about getting the word out there. People know the brewery is here but they don't necessarily know about the taproom. It's a venture - we're very much still in our baby stage, but we are growing."
The taproom, which serves a selection of four beers, including the award-winning Romsey Gold, The Original Double Drop and Black Jack Porter, alongside a selection of bottles and kegs from the shop, is currently open from 4pm to 8pm on Fridays, and 12 noon to 7pm on Saturdays.
A special Spring Cracker special is also currently on offer, with brewers often trialling new recipes at the site.
"We're a working brewery, everything we sell is brewed here," Chantal added.
"I might be biased but my personal opinion is when you're drinking at a brewery it tastes better. You've got the smell in the air and everything is fresh from out the back. It's cosy in here and I think people have responded really well to the authentic feel of the place. We want to be different and we want offer people something you can't really get at maybe a pub or a bar."
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With summer fast approaching, Chantal says she's planning to open up the shutters and place a gazebo out the front so punters can enjoy a packed schedule of live music and sport in the sunshine.
The taproom will also welcome a selection of catering trucks throughout May, serving up an array of street food including gourmet toasties, burgers and Yorkshire pudding roast dinner wraps.
For more information on the brewery and the taproom, visit: flackmanor.co.uk/.
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