Nick Harkin, founder of an Enid Street beer spot in Bermondsey, explains how a Tesco brewing kit ignited his passion and discusses the brewery’s signature beers.
“The best part about brewing beer is creating something entirely unique, often better than what you can buy off the shelf,” explains Nick Harkin, founder of Mash Paddle Brewery.
Nick’s journey into brewery started in 2012: “I wandered into Surrey Quays Tesco and picked up a ‘Just Add Water’ brew your own beer kit.”
Since then, his brewing collection moved to pans atop the stove before investing in larger equipment. “The difficulty was, I was brewing in a small flat with wooden floors – not ideal when you’re dealing with water and beer everywhere.”
From homebrewing to international hotspot
Opening up Mash Paddle took longer than expected, says Nick, who wrote his MBA on how to apply the ideas behind cloud computing and software as a service to the homebrewing world, which he wanted to use as a blueprint to raise funds and start the brewery.
“But the pandemic hit, and everything shut down,” he explains. “Emerging from the pandemic, the focus was on raising funds, which we accomplished through winning a few business pitching competitions at the City of London University, receiving a couple of small grants, and running two crowdfunding campaigns, and finding a suitable location.
“Finding the right location proved to be the biggest challenge. We wanted to be based along the Bermondsey Beer Mile, and it took some time to secure a suitable unit. We are extremely pleased with our current location.”
Nick says that the Beer Mile is perfect for them. With it being “an internationally known destination”, they experience a lot of foot traffic. He says that “the entire mile functions as a cohesive community”, lending equipment and staff to each other and always keeping an eye out.
Working together on the Beer Mile
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When it comes to beers, Mash Paddle has two signatures. Nick says: “Our first, ‘Mashed Out’, is a West Coast Double Dry-Hopped IPA. Although it’s a Westie, we add extra oats and a bit of wheat to give it a creamy body and a wonderful head, which gives it little notes of NEIPA.
“Our other beer is on the opposite end of the spectrum – ‘Mango Unchained: A Fruity Rebellion’ is a lip-puckering mango and apricot kettle sour. It’s a sour brew crafted for sour lovers, and we actually made this one a few doors down at Bianca Road, highlighting how the Beer Mile community works together.”
You can book a “brew your own” experience at Mash Paddle – with the option to book a private lesson with friends or rent access to the brewery’s equipment if you’re already familiar with the process.
No two brews are ever the same
In the lesson, you’ll brew one of Nick’s recipes – a pale ale, IPA, bitter or stout – and carry out the entire process under instruction.
“While we use the same tried and tested recipe repeatedly, no two brews ever come out exactly the same,” says Nick, “Once the beer has fermented, we can it onsite, ready to be collected around three weeks later.”
Mash Paddle also hosts regular workshops pairing cheese and beer. Cheese and beer, you might ask, well, Nick says beers offer a wide array of pairing options, just like wine.
“From a soft goat cheese paired with a sour to a rich blue cheese with a chocolate stout, there’s so much to explore,” he explains. “This workshop is fantastic for discovering different ways to taste both cheese and beer, offering attendees something they can replicate at home.”
What’s going on?
Thursday to Saturday at Mash Paddle, you’ll find pizza from The Flow, “where Antonio crafts incredible Neapolitan pizzas using a traditional Italian pizza oven”, says Nick.
Wednesdays see a gaming night, where you can play a variety of board games, and each Thursday is a bring your own vinyl evening to play on Mash Paddle’s sound system.
Make use of Mash Paddle’s local’s discount – anyone with an SE1 or SE16 postcode can receive a discount card
92 Enid Street, SE16 3RA
