Hook Norton and Oxford Inspires win the Arts and Business Cultural Branding Award

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Hook Norton Brewery and Oxford Inspires last night received the award for Cultural Branding at the Arts & Business Awards hosted by BMW Group Plant Oxford.

Arts & Business South East is the charity dedicated to creating sustainable partnerships between the business and arts worlds. A&B hosts the prestigious annual awards ceremony that recognises the best of corporate and cultural collaborations. Nominations are short-listed from across the entire South East of England and celebrate the mutual benefits that the partners derive from their collaboration.

Arts and Business describe the winning business as demonstrating “An integral connection with culture that has increased brand equity and therefore business performance.”

The strong commitment of the 150 year brewery led to the crafting and brewing of a limited edition beer in honour of Oxfordshire 2007. Inspired was made with 100% local ingredients from the county and featured the 2007 dancing ox logo and familiar Oxford skyline on its bottle. This visual element worked to increase the profile of Oxfordshire 2007 and Faces of Oxfordshire.

“We are delighted to be recognised with Hook Norton Brewery for this important branding award. Inspired was so popular that it has sold out. The special look of the beer through its bottle design, name and local dedication and great taste received a great deal of attention and worked to attract more attention to the 2007 millennium anniversary,” said Sarah Maxfield, Chief Executive, Oxford Inspires.

Hook Norton Brewery was a strong partner in Oxfordshire 2007, the celebration of 1,000 years of Oxfordshire coordinated by Oxford Inspires. The Brewery supported Faces of Oxfordshire, a visual arts and heritage project led by the Oxfordshire Museums Service which explored the county’s people and communities. Made up of large and small projects Faces reached thousands of residents, businesses, and tourists. Legacy projects are continuing until the end of 2008. One of these projects, The Spoon Race, greatly exceeded its target of 1,000 spoons representing historical and contemporary characters and was hugely popular with families and the media, and toured the county with its workshops and exhibitions. (The exhibition will be representing Oxfordshire in Liverpool 2008, the European Capital of Culture). The project exceeded initial expectations, and has provided a model for future working.

James Clarke, Managing Director of Hook Norton Brewery and great great grandson of its founder said: ““Hook Norton Brewery is delighted to be associated with Oxford Inspires and thrilled to receive this award for our partnership which will go into our museum. As one of only 32 independent family-run breweries in the country, we take a great interest in the community, and are keen to support local initiatives and artistic activity.”

The Inspired beer was also used as a special dedication and a bottle given to every fire-fighter in Oxfordshire. On the label was written: “During the course of producing this beer, Oxfordshire suffered devastating floods. We therefore dedicate this beer to all those who have assisted in dealing with the flooding, and demonstrating what fine people there are in this county.”

Arts and culture in the county has found a true local champion. Hook Norton Brewery has renewed its commitment Oxford Inspires by becoming a Corporate Member for 2008. In addition, the Oxfordshire firm have produced another anniversary beer to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Banbury’s town charter and plans are being put in place to release Inspired again in summer 2009.

Information for Editors: Oxford Inspires also won the Sustainability Award from Arts and Business, with their partners BMW Group Plant Oxford, Oxford Philomusica, Cowley Road Carnival and Creation Theatre Company. Further details about this work are on a separate press release.

ENDS

For further information please contact Olivia Thornton, Marketing and Communications Officer, Oxford Inspires E: olivia.thornton@oxfordinspires.org, T: 01865 816392

Notes to editors
Hook Norton Brewery
Hook Norton, in the North Cotswolds, has seen its fair share of history’s ebb and flow, from Magna Carta to Civil War battles. For example, one of its pubs, the Castle Inn in Banbury, was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Edgehill. Hook Norton’s Victorian Tower Brewery is one of the best examples in the country and has been producing real ale since 1849. Today, it’s the only brewery in the country still driven every day by steam, via a 25 horsepower engine installed in 1899. It’s one of only 32 independent family-run breweries: James Clarke, the current managing director, is the great, great grandson of the original farmer and brewer John Harris. Many of Oxfordshire’s most beautiful Cotswold villages boast a Hook Norton pub. Hook Norton was a proud partner in the Faces of Oxfordshire one of the main themes of Oxfordshire 2007.

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