Hall & Woodhouse (H&W), the leading independent family-owned Dorset brewer, is celebrating a successful summer of food, literature and art following the sponsorship of key local events throughout the season.

The summer kicked off with the sponsorship of Dorset Art Weeks, H&W hosted the launch event at its flagship pub, The Crown Hotel, in the heart of Blandford. The launch included a series of lively presentations explaining the relationship between the visual arts and business, interspersed with different members of the Woodhouse family leading tutored tastings of their favourite Badger beer, each paired with a local cheese. All attendees were entered into the draw to win a bottle of Badger beer every day for a year.

Previously H&W has supported the event as the joint main sponsor and plans to be a lead sponsor in years to come.

In July the company renewed its silver sponsorship of the Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival after the success of the Badger Beer Zone at last year’s event. New for 2018, H&W hosted the Badger beer marquee outside the Ship Inn overlooking Weymouth Marina. Festival-goers had the opportunity to sample fresh whitebait and a seafood medley, washed down with Badger’s delicious cask ales. Mark Woodhouse, Chairman of Hall & Woodhouse, and Toby Heasman, Head Brewer, also held two beer and food pairing workshops to educate visitors. Live entertainment went ahead in the Inn’s courtyard with local bands and a daily show from the legendary magician, the Great Baldini.

This summer H&W also joined forces with Dorchester Literary Festival (DLF) to sponsor the first Hall & Woodhouse DLF Local Writing Prize. The competition showcased the county’s talent and promoted writers in Dorset and across the south-west. Local author Philip Browne was crowned the winner by Kate Adie CBE at the awards ceremony held at the Duchess of Cornwall in Poundbury.

Anthony Woodhouse, Managing Director of Hall & Woodhouse, explained: “Following the success of the first Hall & Woodhouse DLF Local Writing Prize, where we received 53 submissions, we have pledged to support the festival for the next two years and will continue to hold the awards ceremony at the Duchess.

“It has been fantastic to be involved with the county’s most recognisable events this summer. Hall & Woodhouse is proud to champion its Dorset heritage over the past 241 years and we continue to invest significantly in our home county. We are committed to enriching the lives of the communities in which we operate, to give back to those we have supported over the years. It was therefore of great importance for us to support these local initiatives and we look forward to working together in future years.”

As the local independent family company that leads the UK market in brewing and hospitality, H&W has decided to back the 2018 Dorset Magazine Food, Drink & Farming Awards, taking place at the Italian Villa on Thursday, September 27.  H&W is sponsoring this year’s Pub of the Year Award for the second year running, and will be judging the Best Restaurant of the Year Award. Guests will also be served Badger beer throughout the awards dinner.

Anthony added: “The awards champion the outstanding people who make up Dorset’s food scene and we look forward to celebrating the local food, drink and farming winners on the night.”

H&W has a collection of around 200 beautiful pubs, stretching from Bristol to Exeter, London to Brighton. The business is dedicated to supporting the Dorset community and its causes, having invested over £30million into the county since 2013, on top of their regular and extensive charity donations.

Please visit www.hall-woodhouse.co.uk for more information.