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Harveys praised in The Times.

Companies that get a buzz out of caring and sharing.

"Harveys, an award-winning brewery in Lewes, East Sussex, still epitomises old-fashioned values that now seem rather cutting-edge.

Awarded the accolade of champion bitter of Britain by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) for two years running, the brewery could well sell its beer far and wide. But it has remained resolutely local. Most of its business is within 60 miles, cutting down on beer miles and making it possible to recycle bottles. (On a Saturday, you see toddlers being wheeled in their buggies into the Harveys brewery shop perched on crates of empties.) The ingredients are locally grown and the spent hops and malt are given away to the local agricultural college for use as fertiliser and cattle feed.

Harveys is also well known for supporting causes. The brewery recently created a special-edition beer, Quids In, for the launch of the Lewes Pound, the local currency that is part of the Transition Town movement to encourage more local, green living. “We have a symbiotic relationship with the local community,” explains the head brewer, Miles Jenner. “They are our bread and butter and we support them — it’s as simple as that.” Giving away waste saves money on disposal and lessens landfill. Again, it makes sense all round."

Read full article in The Times, Thursday, 30th July 2009

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