Bedford-based brewery, Wells & Co has launched a new beer to celebrate the birthday of one of the family’s most influential women.
In honour of what would have been Josephine Wells’ 175th birthday, the exclusive beer, Josie 175 is a chardonnay barrel-aged pilsner, available from Brewpoint, Beerfly on St Cuthbert’s Street and Wells & Co pubs.
Josephine was the wife of Wells & Co’s founder, Charles Wells, and has been described as the wind in his sails.
Born on 22 October 1849, Josephine was the inspiration for founding the Wells family brewery in Bedford and she is the great-great-grandmother of the business’s current CEO Peter Wells.
In the early 1870s when on leave from the navy, Charles met and fell madly in love with Josephine, but he was told by her father that he could only marry her if he left the navy and set up his own local business. With this, he gave up his sea-faring career, settled on dry land and became a brewer.
They married in 1876 and Charles bought the Horne Lane Brewery, situated on the banks of the River Great Ouse, along with purchasing 36 pubs at auction. And so, the Wells & Co story began.
Charles has always been central to its brewing story, a dependable family man with a visionary outlook, and by his side was unsung hero Josephine, who was central to this family brewing business becoming firmly anchored in Bedford.
Recipe for success
As part of the celebrations, some recipes found in a handwritten book by Josephine will be adapted for Brewpoint’s Tap Room menu. The meals included would have been used daily to fuel the growing family of eight Wells children.
The small, worn leather-bound book was sent to Wells & Co by a local resident who found it in the bottom of a trunk at her flat on the Embankment while a college student many years ago.
Inside the yellowed, ingredient-splattered pages are dozens of handwritten recipes including Pound cake, pork pies, lemonade, and cheesecake.
CEO of Wells & Co, Peter Wells, said: “Josephine Wells was my great-great-grandmother and the longstanding wife of our founder, Charles Wells.
“As a mother of eight and guiding family force, Josephine has been a huge inspiration behind the Brewpoint beer range, having played a significant role in the history of Wells & Co. To be able to commemorate what would have been her 175th birthday shows just how far we have come.”
Competition
As part of the celebrations, we’ve partnered with Wells & Co. to offer one lucky reader and three friends a tour and beer tasting at Brewpoint, plus a four-pack of beer.
To enter, simply answer the following question: How many children did Charles and Josephine Wells have?
Email the answer plus your name and address to win@bedfordindependent.co.uk by Friday, 22 November. You can find the full terms and conditions on our website.
