Brewer home after burns treatment

December 20, 2004: Acclaimed Cornish brewer James Vincent is back in Cornwall recovering after a brewing accident in which he was burned by boiling liquor.

He was given a rapturous reception by a party including Cornwall CAMRA members and St Austell head brewer Roger Ryman during a social at the Blisland Inn, this evening.

James has been receiving treatment at the specialist burns unit at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol. He is best known as the head brewer of the sadly defunct Ventonwyn brewery and is constantly being urged to return to the brewing scene.

He has, however, undertaken a brewing session with Roger which resulted in the creation of Proper Job, a limited edition full-strength IPA (5.5%) that made its debut at the St Austell Celtic Beer Festival earlier this month.

The final cask of this was unleashed at the Blisland Inn in honour of James's visit and Mr Vincent pronounced it a "cracking" pint, which it most certainly is.

It would make a perfect replacement, some suggest, for St Austell HSD, as a top-end beer on the brewery's bars. Worth a thought, St Austell?