The original brewery, created by Simon Loveless in 1994, operated from the back of the Prince of Wales pub in Princetown. This could brew 15 barrels of beer each day, but as the local popularity of Simon’s Jail Ale and Dartmoor IPA brands grew, the brewery soon ran out of space.
To meet growing demand, Dartmoor Brewery relocated in 2006 to a much bigger purpose built brewery, 400 yards from the original plot on a site near to Princetown’s disused railway yards.
Today, Dartmoor Brewery uses the traditional British system of mash tun, copper and hop separation vessel to create its award-winning ales. The original installation had six fermentation vessels, each holding 37 barrels or 10,000 pints. Strong demand for our beer brands has required the addition of extra fermentation capacity, so we have introduced five new vessels, each holding 74 barrels or 20,000 pints. We now produce 2.8 million pints a year which are enjoyed by real ale drinkers across the South West and beyond.
A full-bodied, deep golden brown beer, Jail Ale has a well-rounded flavour and a rich, moreish aftertaste. We’re proud to have achieved many top awards with Jail Ale in the Premium Bitter categories at numerous beer festivals.
