Skinner's opens new visitor centre

l Steve and Sarah Skinner (right) toast their new venture with visitor centre manageress Claire Gwynn

April 20, 2005: The final phase of a £500,000 investment programme at Skinner's Brewery, in Truro, Cornwall, has seen the opening of a visitor centre.

Owners Steve and Sarah Skinner are hoping to welcome some 10,000 visitors to the premises this year, to see the tasting room and shop and take a 45-minute guided tour.

Visitors can experience the working brewery, following the brewing process at first hand from raw ingredients to sampling the firm's award-winning real ales.

Claire Gwynne, whose husband Paul is part of the brewing team, has been appointed visitor centre manageress and will be chief tour guide. She will start with an introductory talk in the tasting room and then take visitors through the various production rooms, including the brewhouse, fermenting room, cask cleaning area and racking room, before returning to the tasting room for samplings.

As well as Skinner's own beers, the new shop contains other Cornish products, including mead and cider, plus mugs, glasses, mats, souvenir clothing and other gifts.

“It is perhaps not generally appreciated in this high-tech age that brewing remains very much a craft,” said Steve. “We are delighted to be able to welcome the public into our brewery now so that they can watch at close quarters as our staff demonstrate the range of skills that go into the making of high quality ales.”