During a visit today to a brewery in Dorset, the monarch spoke candidly about the nation’s heartbreak over last night’s World Cup defeat
The King spoke for the nation saying it was “a good day to drown a few sorrows” as he pulled a pint of beer following England’s heartbreaking defeat to Argentina. On a visit to a Dorset brewery today, Charles received an applause and cheers as the Queen helped him behind the bar at the Hall and Woodhouse brewery near Blandford Forum.
After being shown how to pull a pint by Toby Heasman, 50, the company’s head brewer, Charles was told to do it “a bit quicker”. As Camilla helped her husband, the King said: “We’ll have to do it again.”
Noticing the pint still wasn’t full he laughed and said, “and again”. The Queen said “No, you’re going to spill it!” After finishing the task of pulling a pint of 3.4% ‘Fursty Ferret’, the King received applause and cheers from the staff.
Lifting the nearly-full glass, the King smiled and said: “Maybe it’s a good day to drown a few sorrows.” His quip received a round of applause and a few laughs.
Earlier, the King and Queen unveiled a plaque to mark the family brewery’s 250th anniversary. Charles heard how the Hall and Woodhouse brewery, whose pubs include the Duchess of Cornwall Inn, which was opened by Camilla in 2016, is run by a family now in its 9th generation.
Meeting Anthony Woodhouse, 61, and his son Matt, 34 – seventh and eighth generation family members respectively – Charles said that it was “remarkable” that the brewery had stayed in the family.
Upon arrival, Charles and Camilla met representatives from Teddy Rocks, a music festival sponsored by the Hall and Woodhouse Badger Brewery which raises money for children’s cancer charities.
Tom Newton, 37, told the Queen that he founded the three-day music festival after the death of his younger brother, Ted, who died aged 10 in 2010 of a rare form of bone cancer: Ewing sarcoma.
The annual festival, held in May at a venue two miles from the brewery, began in 2011 when it raised £400. Now it has grown to a festival that welcomes 6,000 people a day across three days. This year it raised £185,000 with a total of more than £1million to date for five charities.
In the Maltings Room, Toby Heasman, the head brewer who has been with the company for 20 years, presented Charles with a bottle from a fresh batch of their 7% Coronation Ale, which was created for the 2023 Coronation.
The Queen met Jill Meyerhoff, head of recruitment and apprenticeships and some apprentice chefs to hear about the company’s chef apprentice scheme.
Looking at the chicken dishes and pastries created by the chefs on the eight-month apprenticeship programme run by the brewery, Camilla said that it made her want to “tuck in”.
Charles and Camilla unveiled a 250th anniversary plaque and pulled a pint at the brewery which was founded in 1977 by Charles Hall, a Dorset farmer.
The Queen was given a posy of flowers as she left when she met some of the 9th generation of the family: Bowie Waterhouse-Clarke, 5, and his brothers River, 3, and 11-month-old Rudi.
Later, the King and Queen visited the historic Corn Exchange in Blandford Forum, a Georgian riverside market town on the banks of the River Stour.
The Grade I Listed building has recently undergone a significant renovation project including a newly-restored George II royal Coat of Arms, which was originally gifted to Blandford Forum Town Council in 1893 by Frank Blanchard.
In the Main Hall, the King and Queen were shown stalls showcasing the work of charities from across Dorset, including veteran and prison services, community and domestic abuse support, volunteers and faith, arts and education groups in the area.