An Oxfordshire-based social enterprise has introduced its first organic beer in partnership with a Gloucestershire brewery as part of a nationwide campaign promoting sustainable food and drink production.
Tap Social Movement, which employs people leaving prison and those on day-release programmes, has launched the new product alongside the independently-certified organic Stroud Brewery.
The collaboration marks the latest addition to both organisations’ offerings and coincides with the Soil Association’s annual Organic September initiative, which showcases British organic products and their environmental benefits.
The beverage, named Against the Grain, is an Extra Hazy Pale Ale containing 4.5 percent alcohol by volume.
The recipe incorporates tropical flavours with a citrus element derived from orange peel.
According to information provided by the company, this represents Tap Social’s inaugural organic option within its portfolio.
Tess Taylor, co-founder of Tap Social Movement, expressed enthusiasm about the joint venture.
She stated that the organisation had long admired Stroud Brewery and welcomed the opportunity to collaborate on the project.
Taylor emphasised that the partnership demonstrated how two breweries with social objectives could contribute to environmental sustainability while continuing their community-focused missions.
She noted that the product would complement the company’s existing commitment to supporting marginalised individuals by adding an environmentally-conscious dimension to their range.
Greg Pilley, founder and managing director of Stroud Brewery, discussed the significance of organic certification.
He explained that consumers purchasing organic products could be confident their choices positively impacted wildlife recovery and environmental restoration.
Pilley cited research suggesting farms operating without chemical inputs supported approximately one-third more wildlife compared to conventionally-managed land, while also reducing chemical contamination of groundwater and food crops.
Pilley added that obtaining official organic certification from the Soil Association had been a priority for Stroud Brewery since 2008, when the organisation first achieved that status.
He noted that the Soil Association conducted thorough assessments of all certification applications to verify organic claims.
Pilley stated that the presence of the Soil Association logo on packaging provided consumers with assurance that their purchases genuinely supported wildlife conservation and environmental protection.
Against the Grain is now available throughout Tap Social Movement’s various venues, at Stroud Brewery’s taproom, and through the Stroud Brewery website for postal delivery.