{"id":43544,"date":"2025-11-07T12:59:59","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T12:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwejournalism.net\/bowernews\/?p=43544"},"modified":"2025-11-07T14:42:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T14:42:56","slug":"care-home-residents-hop-into-bristol-beer-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwejournalism.net\/bowernews\/2025\/11\/07\/care-home-residents-hop-into-bristol-beer-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Care home residents hop into Bristol beer project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Hoppiness Brews founder Guy Manchester with a pint of the Hundred Not Out beer brewed with hops from care home residents – Photo by Reecy Pontiff<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A tasting party for a new beer brewed with hops produced by Bristol care home residents was held yesterday at the Wiper and True brewery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around 150 residents of St Monica Trust care homes across Bristol, many living with dementia, helped grow and harvest hops used in the project, according to Sean Davey, the charitable foundation’s head of innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hoppiness Brews<\/a> initiative was started to \u201ccombine gardening, brewing and shared memories to enrich lives, especially for people living with dementia,\u201d said project founder Guy Manchester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe project empowers residents to take part in the full brewing journey, while fostering creativity, inclusion and promoting healthy ageing activities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor me,” said Caroline Drewell, a care home resident that took part in the project, “it was the joy of looking across the table and seeing residents from our villages and care homes busily picking hops together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It didn\u2019t matter how many you picked or how fast, everyone was contributing and helping each other, with plenty of laughter and chatting.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A St Monica Trust resident at the unveiling of their beer last month – Photo courtesy St Monica Trust<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Though many of the residents recall growing and harvesting hops in their youths, Mr Davey says, they had “people in their 90s who have never done anything like this – and to hear them excited and giggly is a really emotional experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This batch, branded\u00a0Hundred Not Out is a best bitter style beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA few people thought we\u2019d lost our marbles and didn\u2019t think we had a chance of actually creating a beer,\u201d said Mr Manchester, who is also a horticultural therapist and activity leader at the Alive Activities charity. \u00a0\u201cBut it\u2019s been really popular\u2026 it\u2019s really gone down well with everyone who\u2019s tried it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they harvested about 24 plants at the care homes, \u201cwe all sat around a table, had a little drink, have a sing-song, have a chat,\u201d Mr Manchester said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf7aUnveiling our resident-brewed centenary beer, Hundred Not Out! \ud83c\udf7a\n\nIn collaboration with @aliveactivities.bsky.social and Wiper and True, this beer marks 100 years of St Monica Trust and was brewed from hops grown and harvested by our residents.\n\n\ud83d\udc47 Read more: www.stmonicatrust.org.uk\/our-expertis…

[image or embed]<\/a><\/p>— St Monica Trust (@stmonicatrust.bsky.social<\/a>) 20 October 2025 at 12:29<\/a><\/blockquote>