This is a great way to spend a couple of hours, a fun and friendly brewery tour that keeps you entertained and well watered. This was a family birthday/Xmas gift for a band of brothers. We had lunch in the pub up the road and then spent the afternoon on the tour.Unlike some larger brewery tours you get to fully sample each of the main brews at the Hogs Head brewery - Hogs Bitter, TEA, Hop Golden Garden, Rip Snorter! and their new lager and ciders. It's all pretty much self serve from jugs so you can have as much or as little as you like - and you get to keep the tasting half-pint glass. Your tour guide is very very knowledgeable about the brewing process, each ale and the history of the brewery and local area; he's a good laugh too! There's a shop which is very well stocked with all sorts of beers, lagers, ales, ciders and wines from a wide selection of international brewers as well as large bottle packs from Hogs Back themselves.It's not a huge place; access is a bit limited with some step/stairs to climb in the brewery and some very low doorways to negotiate. And wear a coat in the winter, it's a barn.
I don't give 5 stars very often, but the Hogs Back Brewery tour is certainly a worthy recipient. The tour was very informative about the brewery history as well as the process of brewing beer. The tour guide found the perfect balance between sharing information and making the tour interesting and great fun. The sampling was extremely generous in this day and age of cost cutting. The tasting of the beers and the explanation behind each beer was great, along with the social sense of the tour. If you are interested in beer and how it's brewed, this tour and brewery is certainly worth the visit and excellent value for money. Well done Hogs Back for opening your doors and providing such a service.
Four of us went just after Christmas it was a great tour friendly people lots of beer and a free glass and was very well priced, we are all local to the area and will be back in the shop to stock up, great day out.
Was given two tickets for the brewery tour by my in laws. More of a wine drinker than a beer monster but thought it might be interesting. Infact had a great afternoon with a very amusing guide. The cost of the tickets was dwafted by the number of pints of beer they provided us (as I was driving all drunk by my other half who was more than a little merry by the time we set off home). Also given some nice pint glasses - def value for money!The brewery itself it small, as you'd expect of an independant, but that made it all the more authentic and the as well as jokes we also learnt some very interesting trivia. The shop is packed to the rafters with stock, not just with Hogs back offering, s but also hundreds of beers from all round the world, so a great place if you wnat to find that elusive beer you once tried on holiday...Can higly recommend but if you're local think about getting dropped off/picked up or a taxi as you'd be way over the limit if you drank all the samples (and unlike wine they certinly don't expect you to spit it out!)
We went on the tour and it was brilliant. We had a tour guide called Noel who was informative and funny. Love their beers so it was great to hear about the background and process going into it. Brilliant night out - the beer on the way round was great too :)
Good products but watch out for the staff, they will lie, cheat and swindle you.I ordered a membership as a present for someone else, they said they would post it to us. After 20 days we contacted them and they said that they could not post it as it was 'fragile'. After an hours drive to pick up the 'fragile' membership, all it was was a polo shirt. Disgusting behaviour and not even an apology.
We're regulars at the Hogshead brewery! The staff are friendly, very knowledgeable and helpful, and the beer selection and price is amazing. A must stop if you driving down the A3 and fancy a quick detour.
We went with a large group and were running a tad late, but a quick phone call and they waited. You receive a lovely memorabilia glass and are poured copious amounts of ales throughout the tour. They emphasise on the website and during the tour that they won't push anyone who doesn't want to drink and the need for a designated driver.The tour is interesting and funny if you're a middle class Waitrose shopper. Otherwise it might be a little less amusing. We were all pleasantly amused by the quips, though. Awesome selection of ales at the end, the boys (those aged 26 to 60) were in absolute heaven and found many choice Christmas presents. All left cheery and satisfied by an excellent day.Be aware that winter visiting requires a coat, as although indoors, no heating.For oldies, there are 4 sets of steps and some low ceilings at times, so make sure they're safe on their feet. Grandma made it, but we secured her a chair downstairs - just ask and they get one out of the office - and then in the last room, there are chairs for some.
Visiting with my brother who had arrived from the Frozen North, we had an excellent and informative tour delivered in great comedic style. We only stopped laughing whilst quaffing the generous quantities of Hogs Back wares. The tour lasted for about an hour and a half and was, as our guide said,"The cheapest round you'll ever buy". I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone, especially Surrey residents like me who have never previously thought of visiting. Very good value and I look forward to a repeat visit to see how their new hop garden across the road works out.
They have a fantastic range of beers and ciders. Great for special occasions and parties, especially as you can buy large containers full of beer.