Rob and Debra Evans launched Peak Ales in 2005 and Stuart Wragg joined the business in October 2006. Over time Peak Ales now have a strong team of 8. Peak Ales have matured over the years, and we have now updated our kit to a 20 barrel microbrewery supplying both cask and bottled ales to local pubs, hotels and retail outlets. Alongside Rob, Debra and Stuart we also have three other brewers, Michael Robinson, Thom Bettney and Tom Neale, and our trusty Dave Spencer who multitasks as drayman and our business trouble shooter. Elly takes care of our customers, sales and events while Lou covers our accounts. “It all seems such a long time ago now, January 2003. It had been such a carefully prepared plan sell the house, uproot my family, leave secure jobs and set up a microbrewery in the Peak District. Simple!” Knowing that Rob only had one chance to get things right he worked hard to find premises. Chatsworth's Deputy Agent, Nick Wood, suggested that Rob took a look at Cunnery Barn on the Baslow to Chatsworth road and to let him know if he thought it suitable. It is a road Rob, like many others, had travelled along many times but had never really noticed the barn. Night was beginning to draw in and there was eerie calm about the buildings but their potential was obvious. Rob returned the next day to take a better look. The buildings were in disrepair and the site was terribly overgrown but it looked ideal for a microbrewery. Clearly there were issues: planning, electricity, drainage, renovation, finance etc. we decided that given the potential of the site it warranted a feasibility study at the least. The Peak Ales Barn Eventually all the prerequisite approvals were in place and in earnest a site meeting was arranged just as everyone walked into the potential brew house a barn owl flew out of the opposite window! There was clear evidence that a nesting box was in use and so there was no alternative but to leave the site alone until all the young had fledged. By September the young birds had been successfully raised and renovation work on the barns could begin, including the building of a new nesting box, rest assured no other barn owls in Derbyshire have accommodation so grand! Despite the delays the builders made good progress and by Christmas nearly everything was ready for the arrival of the brewing vessels. Shortly afterwards the stainless steel pipe work was in situ and the brewery was almost complete, a real contrast between the old and the new. Raw materials were ordered and after a thorough clean we were ready to brew. Virtually two years to the day after meeting Nick the first beer was brewed. It had been an emotional journey. The initial recipes have been well received, and a stronger beer a Christmas special “Noggin Filler” has also gone down well. The Duke of Devonshire officially launched the brewery in April 2005 with a blessing provided by the reverend John Elkington-Slyfield (see below) The Peak Ales dream had become reality. Might oaks grow from little acorns as they say, and by 2012 it was clear we had hit capacity and keeping up with demand became a challenge. At the end of 2014 we upgraded our brewing equipment to a 20 barrel plant and the main brewery moved to a purpose built premise in the picturesque location of Ashford in the Water. On this occasion Canon Tony Kaunhoven blessed the new brewery (see below). The original barn will become an artisan brewing centre with a small on-site microbrewery for experimental and bespoke beers. Demonstrations will take place that give visitors a greater understanding of the brewing process and the end products may be sampled in the tasting room. We have had tremendous local support in and around the Peak District and we are proud to have supplied our customers with our award winning ales. We continue to think of ways to develop the business and look forward to an exciting future