ARKELL’S new head brewer has praised the Community Pubs month run by the Adver in conjunction with the Campaign for Real Ale.

Alex Arkell, speaking at one of the country’s last family breweries in Kingsdown, said pubs were at the heart of healthy communities.

Alex, 26, who is continuing the family dynasty after a gap of several generations, has already added his own ideas to the venerable brewing house.

The Adver and Camra showcased the best venues in town throughout April, from real ale emporiums to vibrant gastro-pubs.

Alex, who ran The Rusty Bicycle pub in Oxford for a year, envisages exciting times for the trade in Swindon as he rolls out new recipes to complement Arkell’s trademark ales.

“I followed Community Pubs month and I think it’s been fantastic,” he said. “A pub is the heart of the community and it always has been.

“When I was running my pub it was the centre of the community, we put on all the events we could and we knew everybody.

“People would come in and find their next-door neighbour they’d never met. That doesn’t happen anywhere else, the pub is what that’s for.

“So anything that encourages that and shows that pubs are at the heart of the community I think is excellent.”

The pub trade has endured a turbulent time nationally with statistics showing that 33 a week are shutting their doors.

But our focus on the industry locally has included landlords turning round struggling pubs and starting out for the first time.

Alex, the youngest head brewer in the country, has also set about bringing his new ideas and enthusiasm to a brand with a history spanning more than 150 years.

Appointed last month, he has already brought out Red Army, a Swindon Town tipple brewed with help from his predecessor and mentor Don Bracher, Maypole Mild and has a Jubilee tipple in the pipeline.

“I want to bring variety to Arkell’s,” Alex said. “Our staple brands I want to keep as they are, because 3Bs, Kingsdown and Moonlight are already hugely popular. However, alongside those I want to constantly keep new beers, new flavours and new aromas coming through.

“That’s the best way for us to compete in the market nowadays. We can do a variety and encourage pubs to take on new beers all the time.

“That’s what people want, that’s what I want. When I visit a pub and it’s got six beers on I think ‘that's fantastic’' and I really enjoy trying something different.

“My plan is to have that within Arkell’s. Beyond the three beers you have in the bar, we want customers to find something new and unrecognisable.

“I’m optimistic about the future. It’s an exciting time and I am looking forward to showing the people of Swindon the passion I have for beer.”