From the Dover Express, 24 March 2016.

Brewery to offer taste of quality Dover ales.

A BREWERY is set to open in Dover and will produce a beer called DPA, ‘Dover’s Pale Ale’.

Breakwater Brewery will be located in St Martin’s Yard, Lorne Road, the site of the former P&O training centre, and work has already begun to get it up and running.

The venture is the brainchild of brewer and owner Phil Lowry, who says it will be “a massive asset to Dover.”

Mr Lowry said: “The Breakwater Brewery will be no lifestyle business, it will be very professional.”

Once finished the brewery will produce quality small-batch beers of different styles and host a variety of guest brews from UK, European and US craft producers. There will be a tap room where you can sample the beers and brewery tours will also be available.

Experience.

Mr Lowry has lots of experience in the pub business and has been involved in the London craft beer scene for many years.

Dovorians may know him from his time at the "Coastguard" in St Margaret’s.

Breakwater will join the "Tir Dha Ghlas," next door to "Cullins Yard," on Cambridge Road, as Dover’s second brewery.

Phil intends for his brewery to be around for many years to come and said: “I want to get old with this brewery”

If you are interested in seeing the progress of the premises you can book a visit by appointment.

From the Dover Express, 8 September, 2016. By Terry Sutton.

TROUBLE COULD BE BREWING FOR NEW BOOZE BID.

OPPOSING views are being expressed about a proposal to open a microbrewery in Dover.

Above showing a map of the proposed site.

Victor Evans of Dover’s East Cliff, operating under the name of Breakwater Brewery seeks planning approval to open the brewery, along with delivery area and function room, on a former factory site on Lorne Road.

But nearby neighbour, retired priest Tony Lowe and his wife Christine, are objecting for various reasons saying the traffic and noise will further damage the quality of their lives. In a letter to the council he wrote: “There is already traffic morning, afternoon and evening at the factory site within a few feet of our back garden.

“Yesterday, I counted 20 cars parked in various places. The traffic on Lorne Road has damaged the road severely.

Access area shown above.

Potholes

“Potholes appear constantly and reappear each time they are repaired.

“This will damage our quality of life considerably and our experience of the owners of the property to date, does not convince us that out complaints will be dealt with, with speed or understanding.”

But more than 20 others are in contact with the planning authorities supporting the project.

Andy Mogg said: “I think it would be a great idea, as a regular visitor and a beer lover it’s just what the town needs and would be a great place for both locals and tourists.”

Another backer says the town should support such local initiatives.

The expiry date for the application is September 23.

From the Dover Express, 15 December, 2016.

Brewery and Taproom breaks new ground for beer-curious.

BREAKWATER Brewery and Taproom officially opened its doors to thirsty punters on Tuesday.

The minds behind the project - Phil Lowry and Victor Evans have revamped the formerly derelict building into a beer lover’s heaven, offering everything from house-brewed beers like their flagship Dover Pale Ale to carefully selected casks from across the UK.

Breakwater, in both brewery and bar, is a bright addition to the fast moving modern beer scene in the UK.

As well as the brewery, the space is a large comfy modern “taproom” beside and overlooking the crystal clear waters of the River Dour, where you can enjoy their house beers brewed by owner Phil Lowry. You will also be able to sample the beers Phil has selected from far and wide around the world, dispensed from their custom back bar taps as well as cask beer from a dedicated cask cellar.

The taproom has been styled as a hybrid between contemporary brewery-tap rooms found up and down the west coast of the USA and the traditional German brewery-tap with large heavy benches and the brewery being on show.

The brewery’s aim is to strike a balance between two loves, the contemporary and the classic, staying true to the quality full flavoured beer that has been drunk over the ages as well as seeing where beer can take us on a journey into modern beer.

Their “Dover Brewed, Modern Beer” is inspired by both the classic brewing heritage of Dover, like the long gone Leney’s brewery and many others, as others around the contemporary independent good beer movement.

A spokesman for the brewery said: “All our beers are brewed with our own spring water from the perfect aquifer directly beneath our brewery. Our own cask beers are served on gravity, made with the best British malts we can get, the best hops from near and far and using yeasts from our own collection.

“Plus we’ll have up to 11 “draft” beers, a mix of ours and beers from friends near and far. As a selection, you’ll find delicate bright golden hoppy cask ale through to beers from friends that push the envelope of what is being brewed around the world today. What will drive our beer choice is that, ultimately, we’re beer-curious.”

Breakwater Brewery will also offer an array of house made soft drinks, ciders and wines from Kent producers and as much water as you can drink direct from their own spring.

The brewery is located in St Martin’s Yard in Lorne Road, just a 15-minute walk from Dover Priory railway station, on the site of the Harding’s Wellington Brewery.

They will be opening micropub hours; Wednesday 6pm to 9.30pm, Thursday and Friday 5.30pm to 10.30pm, Saturday noon to 10.30pm and Sunday noon to 9pm.

From the Dover Express, 22 September, 2016. By Jordan Bluer.

TOWN ALE HERITAGE FACES RENAISSANCE.

THREE car lengths away, a man and two women bunched together, digging through a package wrapped in tinfoil. They split the contents before shuffling into the road and nearly being knocked over by a van.

It was another drug deal, said Victor Evans, a successful developer seeking to regenerate the abounded warehouse we were stood next to in Lorne Road. The aim is to create a microbrewery - dubbed Breakwater Brewery - and re-establish Dover’s brewing heritage.

he warehouse had languished empty for the past eight years. The inside had become a hotspot for squatters and drug users. The outside was used as a dumping ground, with discarded mattresses, pushchairs and bags of nappies thrown into large piles.

Above showing the run-down premises the Breakwater Brewery intend to use.

It blighted the quaint residential street it stood on. The building itself - a former brewery nearly 100 years ago - was close to collapse and was ready for demolition. Now the inside has been torn out, the rubbish-strewn area around it cleared out and cleaned.

Above photo showing the refurbished area.

Replacing it, dependent on planning permission, will be a classy-looking bar, a function room open for hire, and a microbrewery bringing back the ales Dover was once famous for Dover Pale Ale being one of the most exciting prospects.

Dad-of-four Victor, 42, has lived in East Cliff for most of his life. He said: “I’m really excited to bring something to Dover. To bring a brewery where there were eight previously. I’m excited to be involved in it and brew beer.”

Victor had originally planned to turn the area into new homes. After finding the area wasn’t suitable for housing a friend put him in touch with Phil Lowry, a brewer looking for a new location for a microbrewery.

Since work started, brewing equipment has been installed, a large portion of the bar has been fitted and solar panels and biomass heating has been added - ensuring the entire brewing process is exceptionally ecological.

Above photo showing the proposed bar area.

The clean energy also powers five nearby houses developed by Victor, keeping the lights on and water warm for around £50 a month for the residents.

“Now it’s at this stage, we just have to stay back and wait to see if planning permission it granted,” said Victor.

Ingrained.

The brewery would add another much-needed business to a side of Dover not included in the incoming St James Development, and also help tackle ingrained drug use blighting secluded areas such as Lorne Road.

It will also bring employment, said Victor, explaining: “Phil will be head brewer and I’ll cover maintenance. He’ll have two apprentices and there will be three or four staff running the bar. There will also be space for parking. We would love to open around Christmas next year.”

The plan has attracted a small number of complaints. Retired priest Tony Lowe and his wife Christine claim traffic and noise from the brewery will damage their quality of life.

Above photo showing the brewing vats.

But Victor said: “There will be no large lorries, it’s a microbrewery so we’ll use a transit van if anything, just to drop off one or two casks at a local micropub.”

Breakwater Brewery has received strong support in the community, from councillors, the wealth of micro-pubs already in Dover and those who have made comments on the planning application.

Andy Mogg said: “I think it would be a great idea, as a regular visitor and a beer lover it’s just what the town needs and would be a great place for both locals and tourists.”

Dover District Council is expected to decide on the planning proposal in late September.

From the Dover Express, 27 October, 2016. By Jordan Bluer.

NEW MICROBREWERY CLOSE TO TOWN CENTRE GIVEN GO-AHEAD.

AFTER a long wait, Dover District Council has finally granted planning permission for a new microbrewery near the town centre.

Breakwater Brewery will take over an abandoned warehouse in Lorne Road, located near London Road.

The building had languished empty for the past eight years and was a dumping ground for fly-tippers and haven for drug users and squatters.

Developer Victor Evans, 42, said the had been waiting ten weeks for the council to approve his application.

The dad-of-four had already done a large portion of the work - installing some of the brewing equipment and adding a bar.

He happily added: “Now nothing has to be taken away.”

Mr Evans, of Eastcliff, has joined forces with brewer Phil Lowry to create the new brewery. They now await licensing for alcohol and if all goes to plan, they hope to open in Christmas 2016.

Mr Lowry, who lives in Whitfield, said: “It’s a blessed relief, we’re still got to obtain our licence so we must not count our chickens before they hatch.”

Above photo showing brewer Phil Lowry in 2016.

Collapse.

Before the duo took over the site, the warehouse - a brewery itself 100 years ago - was close to collapse and was ready for demolition.

Once the project is complete it will add a classy-looking bar, a function room open for hire, and a microbrewery bringing back the ales Dover was once famous for - Dover Pale Ale being one of the most exciting prospects.

Speaking to the Express on a tour of the brewery in September, Mr Evans said: “I’m really excited to bring something to Dover. To bring a brewery where there were eight previously. I’m excited to be involved in it and brew beer.”

The brewery would add another much-needed business to a side of Dover not included in the incoming St James Development, and also help tackle ingrained drug use blighting secluded areas such as Lorne Road.

It will also bring employment, said Mr Evans, adding: “Phil will be head brewer and I’ll cover maintenance.

“He’ll have two apprentices and there will be three or four staff running the bar. There will also be space for parking. We would love to open around Christmas this year."

From the Dover Express, 24 November, 2016. By Lee Penfold

Breakwater partners hoping to obtain licence to sell alcohol before Christmas.

Microbrewery and taproom to focus on all things Dover.

DOVER’S new microbrewery and tap room is expected to be open by Christmas.

Breakwater Brewery in St Martin’s Yard, Lorne Road - was recently granted planning permission! by Dover District Council.

Business partners Phill Lowry and Victor Evans just have the final hurdle of securing an alcohol licence before they can start brewing and selling beer, including the flagship Dover’s Pale Ale (DPA), on site.

Heritage.

Mr Lowry, 40, an experienced brewer who grew up in Romney Marsh, cannot wait to start making beer in a town with so much brewing heritage and which he now calls home.

He said: “The water is amazing. You would not believe, I’ve shown the water report to brewing friends of mine and they are so jealous.”

Mr Lowry says there used to be eight breweries in Dover due to the high water quality in the area.

As well as the sessionable DPA, drinkers can look forward to an array of modern and internationally recognised beers, influenced by Phil’s extensive travels around the world brewing beer.

He says the idea is to get a name first then put a different beer style to it. All the beer names will be a tip of the hat to all things Dover, whether it’s an historical reference, something more leftfield or to do with everyday life.

Mr Lowry said: “We expect to have Dockers, an oatmeal porter, a brown beer which is autumn seasonal.

“We’ve got an IPA called Mogul (named after an old pub in Chapel Place which finally closed in 2007) and we are working on an American pale ale called Hellfire, but we might change the name on that one.

“We have also been looking at ghosts in Dover Castle to name our imperial stout. There’s a ghost in Dover Castle called the Headless Drummer Boy so I might call it that.”

He added: “It’s the conversations it can strike up, I mean all these will be relevant to Dover”.

Not content with bringing “Dover-brewed modern beer” to the town, Mr Lowry says if there’s a significant interest he will help people brew their own personalised beer for special events and occasions like weddings and stag parties.

Beer school.

He also hopes to run a “monthly beer school” where he can offer his expertise and knowledge to budding brewers and people interested in the beer making process.

The opening of a microbrewery has generated a largely positive buzz in the community but there have been a few objections from local residents who are concerned about the disruption it could cause - as reported previously in the Express.

Property developer Mr Evans, 42, who lives with his wife and four children in East Cliff, said: “Well I think the concerns are just unfounded, I mean they don’t understand what’s actually going to be taking place here, they are assuming it’s like a Fremlins or a Shepherd Neame opening up but this is a microbrewery and tap room, much like a micropub with beers brewed on site.

“Anybody is welcome to come in, we can show them what it’s all about prior to opening. We’re not hiding anything here.

“This is just utilising an existing derelict old building for something that’s going to be for the benefit of Dover.”

Mr Lowry added: “Microbrewery, micropub, low-impact, good neighbours.

“Being part of the community is imperative to the operation of the business.”

Mr Lowry, whose day job working in beer has taken him as far afield as Cape Town and San Francisco, now lives with his partner of ten years in Whitfield, and he is passionate about Breakwater having its part to play in Dover’s transition from just another neglected coastal town into a thriving prosperous one again.

He said: “Part of our branding is Dover brewed modern beer, Dover is front and facing. We’ve got a series of posters coming out that are about Dover and it’s not necessarily about us.

“It’s having grown up in Manchester in the early 90s. Manchester was a dump. This is not a dump down here. There’s a lot of opportunity in Dover and I think people need to wake up and realise that.

“That’s what Victor and I are on the same page about. The opportunity for young people to make something happen here is incredible.”

DOVER’S PALE ALE.

At 3.8 per cent, DPA will be a sessionable beer.

Expect a super light but full flavoured hoppy character.

It will be made using a blend of English hops, probably from Kent, and also modern British and American hops.

The water will come from the aquifer on site which according to Phil is on par, maybe even better than, the water he used when brewing out in California, which is used to make some of the best craft beer in the world.

Phil said: “We are quite different in what we are doing but also the same. It’s about respecting our heritage and challenging the conventions, pushing them to 11.”

From the Dover Express, 8 December, 2016. By Lee Penfold

New brewery and micro pub set to open in town in time for Christmas.

TAKE a fresh look inside Breakwater Brewery - a new brewery and micro pub expected to open in Dover this Christmas.

The minds behind the project -Phil Lowry and Victor Evans -have done an excellent job turning a derelict building into a beer lover’s paradise.

Located in St Martin’s Yard in Lorne Road, the duo plan to dish out homegrown booze, including flagship beer Dover Pale Ale.

Speaking to the Express, experienced brewer Phil Lowry said he cannot wait to start brewing.

Amazing.

The 40-year-old said: “The water is amazing. You would not believe, I’ve shown the water report to brewing friends of mine and they are so jealous.”

As well as the “sessionable” DPA, drinkers can look forward to an array of modern and internationally recognised beers, influenced by Phil’s extensive travelling around the world brewing beer.

He says the idea is to get a name first then put a different beer style to it. The beer names will be a tip of the hat to all things Dover, whether it’s an historical reference, something more left-field, or plain ordinary to do with everyday life.

Visit the brewery’s official site here, or follow it on https://twitter.com/breakwater304