Residents at a Chester-le-Street care home celebrated National Beer Day, on 15th June, with a multi-sensory brewery tour.
The residents from Pelton Grange Care Home were given a tour of Blackhill Brewery, and a lesson in beer making from owner Chris Graham.
The tour included getting hands-on and smelling the separate ingredients and a step-by-step explanation of how the brew is made.
They were then treated to a tasting of the brewery’s hand-crafted ales, which are named after Durham coal mining seams, as owner Chris is a former miner.
One of the home’s residents, James Thompson, is losing his vision but the multi-sensory experience allowed him to get involved in the tour.
James used to live near the brewery and gave fellow residents a history lesson on the pubs and mines in the area during their trip.
He said: “I used to brew my own beer when I was younger and being able to feel and smell the hops and barley before they were put into the vat meant a lot to me.”
Chris Hogan-Hind, Home Manager at Pelton Grange Care Home, on Front Street, said: “National Beer Day was a great opportunity to take the residents to a local, North East brewery for a tour.
“Everyone had a great morning, rounded off with a lunch of fish and chips at The Mooring pub and different beers. They’re now asking when the next one is.”
