4th March 2010
Bloxham School says cheers for 150 years with its own beer, the sales of which will raise money for the school’s charities
A Shining Light, a beer brewed by Hook Norton Brewery to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Bloxham School in Bloxham, Nr Banbury, Oxfordshire is now on sale. The beer’s name derives from the school’s Latin motto - Justorum Semita Lux Splendens – The Path of the Just is a Shining Light.
A Shining Light will be sold in Hook Norton’s pubs, at the brewery’s Visitor Centre and from the Hook Norton website a 5p donation is being made to the school’s chosen charities for every bottle sold. Bloxham School Headmaster Mark Allbrook said: “We are a local school with close links to the local community. We are very pleased that the family-owned Hook Norton Brewery, which was founded 11 years before the school was in 1860, is supporting us in this way.”
“Hook Norton brews the champagne of beers, and A Shining Light is a wonderful way of celebrating our 150th anniversary while raising money for the school’s chosen charities - the Katharine House Hospice; the Tsogo Home Care Project in South Africa, an orphanage for the victims of aids, and the Disaster Emergency Committee Haiti Earthquake Appeal.”
Hook Norton’s Managing Director James Clarke said: “Hook Norton Brewery is extremely proud to have brewed this beer and of its long association with the school. Three generations of my family have been or are being educated at Bloxham, my father, myself and two of my children. I am pleased we can support the school in this way. My sons Lewis and George had a crucial role to play in the brewing of A Shining Light as they came to the brewery at 6.30am to mash the beer.”
Mashing is the first stage of the brewing process. Malted barley is carefully mixed with brewing water in the brewery’s copper and then boiled for several hours, releasing the sugars essential for fermentation. “A Shining Light is the perfect gift to give to former pupils on birthdays and at Christmas. I am sure it will sell well in the weeks before Mother’s and Father’s Days,” said James Clarke.
Bloxham School’s Director of Marketing, Nick Irvine came up with the idea of a celebratory beer and approached the Hook Norton Brewery to see if they would brew it. Nick Irvine said: “We share a number of core values with our friends at Hook Norton. We both have longevity as our strength, offer quality and enjoy strong local support.
We hope that Bloxhamists will enjoy raising a glass to their school and know that they are sharing a tradition enjoyed responsibly throughout the 150 year history of Bloxham School.”
A Shining Light, at 4.5 per cent ABV, is easy drinking and goes well with food. It is a pale ale with a slight orange hue and aromas of soft fruit. It has a full and almost spicy flavour with a refreshing aftertaste.
It is available in 500ml bottles. The label of A Shining Light was designed by a former pupil of the school, Jonathan Sivyer, Design Director of Boilerhouse.
