A Day in the Life of the Brewers of Helston

This is an interesting insight into traditional beer brewing and the resulting Spingo, famous to the customers of the Blue Anchor in Helston. For the annual Flora Day held in May, the bitter ale is a welcome treat on Coinagehall Street. The Blue Anchor has been a tavern since the 15th century and its owner Geoffrey Richards is interviewed about its most recent history when his newly married grandfather bought the pub in 1871 in what was then a tin and copper mining district.

The production of brewing small scale beers is taken on by brewer Tim Sears with head brewer Sid Cannon and Pat Cannon who are licensees of the pub. The Blue Anchor’s landlady and her husband bought the pub in 1978 with little practical knowledge of beer-making. The copper cone used for purifying the beer is a nod to the area’s mining past. Tim Sears retired from brewing at the pub in 2017. A sing song in the beer fermenting tanks and barrels, a skittle alley and a violinist also feature. Spingo Middle, Spingo Special, Spingo Bragget and Spingo Flora Daze are still brewed at today’s Blue Anchor Inn. They’ll all put a Spingo in your step especially if on 8th May you are joining in the traditional floral or furry dance!