Mention the name Charles Wells to any Bedfordian and it’s a safe bet they’ll know exactly who you’re you’re talking about.
146 years ago, he bought a brewery and some pubs at an auction at the Swan Hotel and Bedford’s beer-making heritage was secured.
While the brewery has had some pretty significant changes in its time, moving from Havelock Street to Ford End Road and then to its current site as Brewpoint on Cut Throat Lane, a recent change is possibly more significant than most.
Back when Charles Wells was thinking of settling down, he met Josephine Grimbly, whose dad said they could only get married if Charles gave up his life as a sailor and started a business locally.
Well, the rest is history.
While much has been written about Charles and his passion for brewing, Josephine has remained on the sidelines. But, now, she’s finally being recognised in the shape of some new artwork and beers brewed in her honour.
Today’s CEO of the brewery, and great, great-grandson of Charles and Josephine, Peter Wells, explains, “I feel a sense of pride and humility to be connected to such a strong family lineage of brewing in Bedford.
“My great, great grandfather Charles is a well-known figure and has spearheaded our Brewery’s identity.
“But, I’m excited to now give full recognition to the woman he loved and who became his inspiration. Without Josephine, we wouldn’t be here and it’s emotional to see her given her rightful place in Bedford’s history.”
While new beers for this season will honour Josephine, beautiful murals and artwork throughout the brewery with symbols from the past, weaved into Josephine’s hair, also adorn the taproom walls.
New keg beers, Supernova Helles Lager, Foghorn Hazy Session IPA and Lodestar Pacific Pale Ale, all hint back to how Charlie was steered down a different path, guided by Josephine at his side.
Complemented by a new cask ale, Anchorman, is a fresh IPA that tells of why the family became firmly ‘anchored in Bedford’ and how Charlie was Josephine’s Anchorman, just as she was his Supernova.
Learn more on a tour
Brewpoint offers tours where their brewers or beer sommeliers guide you through the Wells’ way of brewing, and how the story began.
The Bedford Independent team were recently invited along to experience the tour.
The tour itself is a must-have for anyone who has an interest in beer or Bedford history, it really is quite remarkable how much the Wells family has been involved in many of the things that today’s Bedfordians take for granted.
Spoiler alert, Josephine features highly and the story of how a seafarer came to settle in Bedford, pretty much as far away from the coast as you can get in England, told by the tour guides is not just a love letter to them but a love letter to Bedford and its brewing history.
From politics to rugby to the water that comes out of our taps, descendants of Charles and Josephine have all played a part in Bedford’s history and now Josephine is getting the recognition she so rightly deserves.
Our guide’s knowledge of beer and brewing was quite impressive, and we certainly put him through his paces asking questions almost non-stop.
The beer tasting afterwards takes you through an array of different beer styles, all brewed a few feet away from the taps they’re poured from, and it’s hard to find any criticism of the pizza cooked fresh to order.
While the tour and beer tasting takes about 90 minutes, once that’s done you can stick around and enjoy the atmosphere at their taproom until closing, we recommend booking a few rounds on the shuffleboard to add a brilliantly fun full stop to the night.
Brewpoint’s new Josephine-inspired beers are available now at their taproom bar alongside a new food menu.
They can also be enjoyed, alongside guest kegs from other favourite UK breweries, at Brewpoint’s forthcoming Beer and Beyond Festival on the 15 and 16 July. Details at Brewpoint.co.uk.
