A FORMER primary school teacher has won planning permission to open a brewery and beer shop in Billericay.
Trevor Jeffery, 48, will open The Essex Beer Shop in Chapel Street on June 14.
He will then open his own microbrewery next door at a later date this year.
As previously reported in the Gazette, Mr Jeffery produced his first beer, called Mayflower Gold, in November.
The beer is named after the ship which carried the Pilgrim Fathers from Harwich to America, via Plymouth, in 1620.
"I will sell our beers as well as beers from other local breweries," he said.
"Mayflower Gold has been very popular – in fact we've just sold out so we are now making our second batch.
"It is a pale ale and May is the month when people make and drink mild beers.
"There should be a number of beers ready for when we open our shop up."
Mr Jeffery hopes to have six beers – mainly bottled – to start with and none of these will be ales you can find in the supermarket.
"The beers you get in the supermarket tend to be bottle-conditioned beer," he said.
"We develop more craft ales which have a bit more flavour – they are handmade and handcrafted."
Looking further into the future, he added: "When the brewery opens we will have regular open days where people can come and look around."
