Latest news with #Floret
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Business
- Leader Live
A look inside the ever-growing Polly's Co brewery in Mold
'Floret', created in Mold by Polly's Brew Co, was listed on We Are Beer's 50 Best Beers in the UK for 2025. Placed 40th in the rankings, that saw it rank above giants like BrewDog's Punk IPA, Theakston's Old Peculiar and Titanic's Plum Porter. Polly's Co itself was launched back in 2018 by friends Arron Fellows and Sean Wheldon. And what started out as a project in an old horse stable at Holland Farm, just outside Mold town centre, has since grown 'significantly' to also see the business have its own restaurant and taproom (Polly's Social) at the Daniel Owen Centre. Polly's, which gets its name from Sean's grandad's horse, are also now capable of brewing up to eight times a week, have exported to 33 countries across the world, and are widely regarded as one of the highest-rated breweries in Wales. Earlier this week, I took a trip to Holland Farm to meet up with another Arron - Arron Fellows, the company's head of sales, who gave me a tour of the site. Being a big beer fan myself, it was a fascinating opportunity to find out more about how some of our local produce is brewed right on our doorstep. I arrived at Polly's and, having met the adorable security (Aka Citra the dog!), then met up with my namesake who explained that the site was once home to a wagon site, belonging to Sean's dad Phil. He added that, after starting out in the former stables, the business rapidly grew from brewing once every 11 days and packaging three times a month to three times a week within the first six months. Arron showed me around the office spaces on site and even the well set up gym they have on-site for staff members - one of many initiatives taken by the company to look after their employees wellbeing, another being a four-day working week. Polly's Brew Co's Arron Fellows. (Image: Newsquest) But the most exciting part, of course, was getting to see the team in action. We walked into the brewhouse and it was immediately apparent just how well-run Polly's has now become. Fermenting machines were chugging away in the background as the hops were prepared by brewers. In the 'Sellar', Arron explained how machines introduced to that area have ensured that beers are produced both safely and quickly, before being sent to the likes of Marks and Spencer, Morrisons and Co-op. The beer is moved from fermenters into the 'bright tanks' where they are then ready to be canned. Water, malt, hops and yeast are the only ingredients used by Polly's, yet their beers can taste totally different based on the hops they use and where they use them during the brewing process. The 'pack' area was among the most impressive factors of the site as team members demonstrated how it works. It is there that the cans, in this instance full of 'California Common' are prepped for being sent out via the highly-efficient canning machine, which can sort out up to 1,200 cans an hour. Once checked for any 'nasties', as Arron put it, they are sent down the conveyor belt to be labelled and boxed. And, even more impressively, that whole process takes just two members of staff to complete. Arron also showed me around the outside 'mini brewhouse', where the beers for Polly's Social are made. This is essentially the same set up as the large-scale brewhouse, only much smaller. What does make Polly's unique also is the fact that their 'coolers' are in fact old lorries from years gone by which have been transformed into several fridges to store beers in. Also admirable is the fact that the businesses uses plastic recyclable kegs where possible and generates its own Nitrogen, which helps push beer from tank to tank. TOP STORIES TODAY 'Totally unique' floating markets to visit North Wales later this month 'This is my livelihood' - Wrexham shop owner puts up 'scumbag' shoplifter signs Woman back in court after 'abhorrent' spitting at others during argument I asked the team if they had any non-alcoholic beers on offer, which they said they do currently have the one on offer at Polly's Social, with plans to introduce more. Head brewer Joe Webb explained that that was a matter of getting the 'balance' right before introducing anything further to the market. Arron explained that, while a local target audience is key, Polly's was also importing to the likes of Bulgaria, Switzerland and Belgium as we spoke. He added that they also have 'very good relationships' with Scandinavian countries like Norway and Denmark. But, of course, brewing and selling beer is not without its obstacles - particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic struck. You can watch a glimpse of my Polly's tour here ... Polly's, however, managed to push through that and come out the other side as a success story, with Floret becoming star of the show. Arron told me: "Making the top 50 beers in the UK was a really big flag for us to be able to wave. But, the reality is that it's never been harder to sell beer than it is right now. "Gen Z have changed their drinking habits so there's more graft needed from our side in that respect. We've had to adapt to the market. "But, we're very lucky to have Sean in that respect as he's always two steps ahead and really knows what he's doing." He added: "The Floret is by far our most popular beer and we're really trying to push that as our standout beer, as other companies do with their biggest sellers. "We're also hosting a national Floret day on an annual basis in March and we had 100 venues across the UK take part this year." One thing that was very apparent during my visit was that Arron really knows his stuff and that the team were equally passionate about the process of brewing. One team member described the brewhouse as a 'hidden gem' in Mold and that is exactly what it is. Having beers made in your own town is something quite special and the people of Mold should certainly cherish that.
North Wales Live
19-07-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
North Wales taproom and restaurant serving tapas with a Welsh twist
A popular craft beer brewery business has recently opened up a restaurant and taproom in Mold. Polly's Social is located at the Daniel Owen precinct in the town centre. Owner of Polly's Brew Company, Sean Wheldon has lived in and around Mold his whole life. Sean launched the company aged 25, from his grandad's farm stable and the brewery was named after his horse, Polly. The craft beer company has come on leaps and bounds over the years, rapidly growing from humble beginnings of brewing on the farm to reinforcing their position as the highest rated brewery in Wales. They are also among the highest rated in the UK as a whole, and their beer has been sold in Marks and Spencer. The open plan taproom has become a destination taproom for their loyal legion of fans who have been chomping at the bit for a venue to enjoy Polly's closest to the source. The venue has a bold, shiny, modern, industrial look with televisions on the wall, which show off the Polly's brewing process. The tables are a mix between communal or more private seating for the anti-social, such as myself. Behind us, there was a huge logo of Polly's Social on the wall with framed art prints of Polly's craft design labels on the opposite side. Polly's Social has about twenty-three beers on tap, including five hand pulled options, as well as in-house roasted coffee and a line of spirits and wine. To try and pick one, out of a choice of twenty-three is really difficult. However, they do let you try a small sample. I don't think I have ever tasted a bad Polly's beer, so you can't really go wrong. My wife chose a half of one of their pale ale core beers. Floret, which is a delicious hazy juice bomb of a beer, bursting with peach, mango, and orange notes from its Citra and Simcoe hops. I ordered a half of Polly's Welsh Black Nitro Stout, which you can only get at the tap room. Stouts are back in fashion and this one didn't disappoint with a tang of rich coffee, dark chocolate, burnt toffee and even a bit of raisin. The nitrogen ensured a white creamy head on top of the glorious black stuff. The clientele was not what I was expecting at lunch time, with quite a lot of locals and elderly people eating, rather than the bearded tattoo stereotype of craft beer drinkers. The menu is split into three categories of grazing dishes, small plates or Sunday roasts. But does the food quality match the premium reputation of Polly's beer? Well, we were about to find out. As it was lunch time we decided to go for the light grazing dishes menu, where as you can choose any 3 for £18 between Wednesday to Saturday 12-3pm. The first dish we ordered arrived from the kitchen almost immediately. We started off proceedings with a starter of confit garlic focaccia, which we dipped into a dish of Welsh Blodyn Aur rapeseed oil with a balsamic glaze. The spongy bread was perfect for sharing with a soft and fluffy inside and its famous signature chew. The next dish to arrive on our table was a Polly's Beef Burger Slider. This mini burger may have been small but it was packed full with flavour due to the grain fed juicy beef patty. It was covered with a delicious house burger sauce along with sloppy melted cheese and crisp onions. It wasn't easy to share, but we managed to cut it in half and got stuck in. The burger was absolutely delicious and was too good to share to be honest. Next up, was 'Tatws Bravas', a Welsh version of the popular Spanish tapas dish. The lightly fried cubed potatoes were smothered in a sweet and smoked bravas sauce with a splash of aioli on the top. It was a bit messy to eat, but what's a bit of spill amongst friends? Last but not least was the IPA brine jerk chicken, which was a Polly's beer marinated boneless chicken thigh alongside some red cabbage slaw. The juicy and succulent chargrilled tinged meat packed a bit of heat, which meant a glug of Polly's beer after every bite. Glorious stuff. Other choices on the grazing menu included Polly's beef sausage, crab scones, salt and pepper corn ribs or house harsh browns. The small plates menu was fairly similar to the grazing dishes only with more choice and bigger. The Sunday roasts menu looked really interesting with choices such as modern apple glazed pork loin, grain fed sirloin or oyster mushroom wellington. Desserts included things like banana bread, rum pineapple, fudge stout brownies and house waffles for £8 each. We mooched over to pay the bill and vowed to return to try one of the other beers on the next visit. I am more than happy to report that the quality of the food at Polly's Social easily matches the premium quality and reputation of their fruity and juicy IPAs. And that is one very serious high bar to reach. Polly's Social - The Facts We ordered: IPA brine jerk chicken £6 Tatws Bravas £6 Polly's Beef Burger Slider £6 Confit garlic focaccia £5 Floret £2.30 Polly's Welsh Black Nitro Stout £2.50 Total: £27.80 Opening Times: Monday – Closed Tuesday 5pm – 10.30pm Wednesday and Thursday 11am – 10.30pm Friday 11am – 11.30pm Saturday 10.30am – 11.30pm Sunday 11.30am – 10.30pm Atmosphere: Cooler than a polar bear Car Parking: Public car park across the road £1.50 Disabled Access: Full disabled access Service: Beer-y happy to see you Overall: One of the most highly rated breweries in the UK, opens a tap room in Mold. Find It: Polly's Social New Unit 4, Daniel Owen Centre Mold CH7 1AP
Leader Live
08-07-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Mold: 'Floret' by Polly's Brew Co. ranked among UK's best
'Floret', created in Mold by Polly's Brew Co, has been listed on We Are Beer's 50 Best Beers in the UK for 2025. It has been placed 40th in the rankings, above giants like BrewDog's Punk IPA, Theakston's Old Peculiar and Titanic's Plum Porter. Polly's Co was launched back in 2018 by Arron Fellows, Sean Wheldon and Scott Nixon. Since then, it has grown 'significantly' according to the team and has just recently launched a new restaurant and taproom (Polly's Social) at the Daniel Owen Centre in Mold. They are also now capable of brewing up to eight times a week, have exported to 33 countries across the world, and are widely regarded as one of the highest-rated breweries in Wales. TOP STORIES TODAY Now, Polly's Brew Co's latest success comes via being ranked on the prestigious We Are Beer list. Arron Fellows, head of sales for the business, said: "Our inclusion on We Are Beer's annual list detailing the best in the UK is an incredibly huge honour. To have officially had our flagship pale ale Floret recognised amongst, and in some cases ranking higher than the very beers that inspired us to create Polly's in the first place is a marker of how far we've come since our humble beginnings in 2018. "We can tout how great our beer is until we're red in the face, but when your industry peers, friends in the trade, and our own loyal fans elevate what you bring to the table on something as visually prominent as this, it puts that extra special rubber stamp on things that what you're doing brings so much joy to so many people."
