Titanic

Unit 5, Callender Place, Lingard Street, Burslem, Stoke on Trent ST6 1JL
(01782 812349) Website

Titanic Brewery is named in honour of the ship whose captain, Edward Smith, hailed from the Potteries. It was founded in 1985 by John Pazio and was taken over by Keith Bott and his brother David in 1988 — Keith was the then assistant to the original brewer Phil Salt. Continual demand and capacity increases led to new premises being sought, moving in to Harvey Works, Burslem, in 1991; then, due to further demands as popularity of the beers grew across the counties, it moved again in to purpose-built premises, a few hundred yards away, just before Christmas 2002. The company supplies more than 250 outlets with its award winning ales, including its own nearby tied house The Bulls Head in St Johns Square, Burslem.

The Bott brothers have built up a business with a strong sustainable and ethical ethos that fits well into 21st century business models. They recycle, try to conserve water (by turning it into beer!) and use only natural ingredients. They rail, too, against the tied house system that keeps so many craft brewers out of local pubs. Why, as they so pointedly ask, would you want to transport a product that is 95% water any further than necessary?

Titanic Stout took the silver award in the Champion Beer of Britain bottled beers section announced at the Great British Beer Festival. (updated 12-08-07)

Regular beers (aka 'The Fleet'): Anchor (4.1%), Captain Smith's (5.2%), Iceberg (4.1%), Lifeboat (4%), Mild (3.5%), Steerage (3.5%), Stout (4.5%), White Star (4.8%)

Seasonal beers: Band Played On (4.1%, September), Black Ice (4.1%, January and August), Butler's Revenge (4.9%, March and April), Coachman's Tipple (4.7%, May and June), Deckchair (4.4%, June), Eight Bells (4.5%, December), Engine Room (4.6%, October), English Glory (4.5%, April), Full Steam Ahead (4.4%, January), Farmer's Half (4.8%, July and August), Gardener's Retreat (4.7%, September and October), Hidden Depths (4.4%, June and July), Last Porter Call (4.9%, March and September), Lordship's Own (5.0%, November and December), Mi Lady's Fancy (4.6%, January and February), Nautical Mild (4.8%, April and May), Night to Remember (4.5%, November), Red Ensign (4.3%, May), Stoker 4.5%), Spring a Leak(4.2%, January), Sundeck (4.3%, July), Triple Screw (4.5%, August), Wreckage (7.2%, October-December)

Bottled beers: Captain Smith's (5.2%), Iceberg (4.1%), Stout (4.5%), White Star (4.8%)

l Titanic also distributes Shugborough Ales, created at Shugborough Hall, the ancestral home of Lord Lichfield, using a Victorian brewhous in the servants' quarters. A team of four have been trained by Keith and Dave Bott of Titanic andtry to brew every weekend — as long as the previous brew has been casked. We make two beers: His Lordship's Own a dark full-bodied bitter at 5.2% and My Lady's Fancy a golden bitter at 4.6%. Occasional demonstration brews are still produced to coincide with the estate's events.

Beers: His Lordship's Own (5.2%), My Lady's Fancy (4.6%)