BROMSGROVE’S Birds Brewery has joined forces with the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust to launch a beer in a bid to help one of the county’s most threatened habitats.
The Nightjar ale will raise funds for the WWT which owns and manages more than 75 reserves across Worcestershire, including one of the largest areas of heathland.
The county has lost 90 per cent of its heathland in the last 200 years, making it one of the most-threatened habitats.
The beer is named after the Nightjar which is a symbolic heathland dwelling bird.
The WWT is currently working on restoring heathland on the Devil’s Spittleful nature reserve in Kidderminster and it is hoped, when the work is completed, the birds will return to Worcestershire.
Chris Bird launched Birds Brewery in 2009 after starting a micro-brewery in 1995 when he was landlord of the town’s Hop Pole Inn and, later, The Ladybird.
Since then the brewery has gone from strength to strength.
Mr Bird said: “We are very pleased to be able to work with the Wildlife Trust on this important project.
“My family have been involved in farming in North Worcestershire for generations, and the decline in habitat over the years is only too apparent.”
From every bottle of Nightjar sold, 2p will go to the WWT, along with 2.8p from every pint bought.
Mr Bird added: “This may not sound like a lot but it all adds up and the more people who buy the beer the more money we’ll raise for their important conservation work.”
The artwork for the beer was designed by WWT volunteer Matt Lissimore and the Birds in-house design team.
Nightjar will be available on draught at Bromsgrove’s Ladybird Inn and at the Admiral Rodney in Berrow Green.
It is also available to buy by the bottle – online at www.birdsbrewery.co.uk or from the Bird’s Brewery shop in Old Burcot Lane.
Visit www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk for more information.
Worcestershire Wildlife Trust volunteers, along with Chris Bird and Ian Hughes from Birds Brewery, raise a toast to Nightjar – the new beer.
