Operations Manager at the Brewery for the past five years, Wayne is a keen runner as well as a retained fireman in his home town of Cleobury Mortimer. Wayne is running the London Marathon in April to raise money for Tommys, a charity very dear to the hearts of Wayne and his family. In December 2010, the Smith family sadly lost their daughter Milly to still birth. Their thoughts are with Milly everyday and Wayne has found the courage to run in memory of her and to try and raise money to support the work of the charity. Tommy's exists to save babies' lives by funding research and providing information on the causes and prevention of miscarriage, premature birth and still birth. For more information about the charity visit http://www.tommys.org/

Wayne has set up an account through Virgin Money Giving, you can sponsor him and donations will be quickly processed and passed to the charity. Virgin Money Giving is a not for profit organisation and will claim gift aid on a charity's behalf where the donor is eligible for this.

Click here to sponsor Wayne

Thank you for your support, Wayne will be busy fund raising leading up to the event, there is a collection pot at the Kings Arms in Cleobury and a pub quiz is being organised at the Old Lion in Cleobury - details to be annouced shortly.

It may not be the weather for cricket but Hobsons Brewery based in Cleobury Mortimer is seeking cricket enthusiasts to join pub teams across the region as it launches its 2012 Pub Cricket League. 

Following the success of last year's first season which saw ten teams sign up to the new league, the local brewery is keen to get teams signed up for the new season.

The league is aimed at cricket teams linked to local pubs which stock Hobsons fine beers, mid-week fixtures will be set up starting in May till late July running to a format of 15 eight-ball overs.

"We had a great first season and hope to build on the success attracting new teams allowing us to split the league into regions to reduce travelling time. The ethos behind the league is to get local people involved in a team sport at the same time supporting their local pub." commented Kate Pearce from Hobsons.

So if you're a group of friends who fancy getting back into cricket or you are already linked to a community club then come along to an evening at the Kings Arms, Cleobury Mortimer on Wednesday 8th February at 8:30pm to find out more (refreshments and sandwiches will be provided). 

If you are unable to attend but would like to get involved in the Hobsons 2012 Pub Cricket League please get in touch Tel: 01299 270837.

We are working on the name and design of the bottled beer and are asking people to vote on the name - see link; http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/British-Hedgehog-Preservation-Society/273196350835

Nick, Jim and Kate attended the awards ceremony which took place at the Drop Forge in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham on Tuesday 27th December. A staggering three awards were collected by the Shropshire brewer including:

Golden Ales Category Winner - Hobsons Town Crier

Mild Category Winner- Hobsons Mild

Real Ale in a Bottle Light Category 2nd place - Hobsons Town Crier

Overall West Midlands Beer of the Year - Hobsons Mild

A big thanks to all the team at Hobsons and our family of publicans, retailers and loyal drinkers heres to a very Happy New Year!

If you're ordering beer for Christmas the last day we are dispatching orders placed online is Wednesday 21st December, please ensure your order is placed by 12:00 noon.

We are back online dispatching orders the following week starting Wednesday 28th December.

If you're local and wish to collect from the Brewery just give us a couple of days notice, we are open Friday 23rd with last collections around 2:00pm. Contact the brewery Tel: 01299 270837

Seasons greatings from the team at Hobsons

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Hobsons is gearing up for the festive period, donning holly in its hat the Shropshire brewer has created a menu of festive treats encouraging people to buy local over the Christmas and New Year period.

Hobsons has a great selection of local beer packs for Christmas including its 2 bottle and glass pack which makes a great Christmas present. Looking for beer for a party or Christmas knees up, then check out the Hobsons beer boxes, available in 18 and 36 pints in our full range of award winning cask ales.

This year the local beer packs can be purchased from your local pub stocking Hobsons as well as online and direct from the brewery.

Click here to shop online

Hobsons Brewery launched a special edition beer this year to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Royal British Legion with its local branch Cleobury Mortimer leading the way. A beer appropriately named Old Comrade was launched in May 2011 in 500ml bottles in support of the anniversary and Poppy Appeal. For each bottle sold doning the iconic red poppy, 5p is being donated to the Royal British Legion.

To heighten promotional activity and awareness this month Hobsons has brought out Old Comrade in draught so pub goers can enjoy a pint of Old Comrade this November and support this noble British institution.

Hobsons developed a new beer for Old Comrade, which is a crisp pale ale of 4.2% abv strength. The following pubs listed below are supporting the Old Comrade beer (while stocks last):

Fighting Cocks, Stottesdon
Cleobury Mortimer Golf Club
The Bell, Cleobury Mortimer
Stourport Workmens Club
Live & Let Live, Neen Solars
The Hollybush, Alcester
Route 69, Birmingham
The Bell, Pensax
All Nations, Telford
White Horse, Clun
New Inn, Baschurch
St Georges Sports Club, Telford
Crown, Cluncton
Caslte Inn, Richards Castle
Three Kings, Hanley Castle
Queens, Bromyard
Sun Inn, Leintwardine
Plough, Worcester
Stourport Boat Club
Old Bakery
Eardiston Country Club
Anchor Digberth
Crown Oakengates
Mytton Arms
Tally ho
Bell Tillington
Roebuck, Brimfield
Pembroke House, Tenbury

The events will kick off from 7.30pm - 11pm and includes a selection of 12 Guest Ales alongside Hobsons full range of cask ales, tickets are £15.00 per person per night which includes the show and food served in the interval.

Tickets are available from the Kings Arms (Kings Arms, 6 Church Street, Cleobury Mortimer, DY14 8BS) or online at http://www.wegottickets.com/f/3021

Line up:
THURS 20th Oct
- SIMON DONALD - The Man from Viz "Donald's ability to create characters didn't stop at Viz. Superb, inventive comedy..." The Stage.
- TREVOR LOCK - "Strangely charming and irresistible. Utterly improbable, absolutely entertaining" The Independent.

FRI 21st Oct
- PHIL KAY - from Qi, Buzzcocks, Russell Howard's Good News and two series of his own show Phil Kay Feels (back in the 90's) "One of the greatest comedic odysseys ever witnessed... 'Hysterical' in every sense of the word - Kay truly is a mesmerizing headf**k genius" - *****Time Out
- DAVE THOMPSON - The man who was Tinky Winky "Delightfully odd, King of the One Liners..." Time Out

SAT 22nd Oct
- NORMAN LOVETT - Holly from Red Dwarf "Lovett turns aimlessness into an art... a true origional" The Times.
- MARTIN SOAN - One half/third of Greatest Show on Legs who invented Alternative Comedy in the 80's. "The finest visual imagination I've seen from a comic..". Time Out

Also on Saturday Cleobury Mortimers first - CHILDREN'S COMEDY SHOW Phil Kay's Award Winning "Gimmie My Left" Shoe with Naughty The Clown… All Children are invited to bring along an item, any item of nonsense that was about to be thrown out or from the garden shed or garage..et cetera... Phil, a master of improvisation will build a show around it and write songs all about you the audience...

The Comedy Festival is the idea of Zoe Partington and will be hosted by Bob Slayer who has also booked the acts. Zoe Partington sits as a Regional Council Member for Arts Council West Midlands Board on disability and diversity-and is passionate about the arts across the West Midlands.

Zoe felt it was time to bring a contemporary show to a rural location where the lack of theatre venues and clubs doesn't hold back the laughter. Zoe lost her sight 20 years ago but has continued to enjoy and be immersed in the arts after studying art at Shrewsbury Technical College and now runs her own company Diablo-Arts and works for the Royal National Institute for Blind People supporting 2012 Olympic arts programing. She has just written a publication called 'Shifting Perspectives' a 2012 legacy 20 years ago.

Zoe studied at Ludlow College where she was friends with Bob Slayer. They recently connected again through facebook after a mutual friend's birthday / reunion and found out that they had a common interest in comedy and the Arts. Bob Slayer is Shropshire lad who, many years ago, was a Jockey who rode at local and national racecourses for several years. After becoming 'too fat' to race he went to London to make his fortune. He ended up touring the world with Rock & Roll bands such as The Bloodhound Gang, Snoop Dogg, Iggy and The Stooges, before being pushed onto stages by bands and became an award winning comedian...

Thank you to all those hundreds of people who entered the competition over the weekend, I have great pleasure in annoucing Mr Snedker of Telford Shropshire was drawn as the winner.

The hamper includes a range of items all made with Hobsons beer including Steak & Ale pies from Gourmet Pies, Donker Bread baked by Swifts, Pork Sausages made by Hems & Sons Butchers, Ludlow Sausage Roll made by Coopers Gourmet Sausage Rolls, Hobsons Ale & Mustard Cheese made by Croome Cuisine and a selection of our bottled beers.