As another year draws towards its close, we would first like to thank everyone who has visited the brewery, joined us for a Brewery Tour & Tasting, bought our beers or simply followed and supported what we do here at Mount St Bernard Abbey.
Our Brewery Tour & Tastings have continued to grow in popularity throughout 2026, giving visitors a rare opportunity to step inside Britain’s only Trappist brewery and learn more about the relationship between the monastic Community, the Abbey and the beer brewed here.
With Christmas approaching, we’re pleased to announce that the first Brewery Tour & Tasting dates for 2027 are now available to book. Tours also make a unique Christmas gift for anyone with an interest in beer, brewing, local history or the remarkable story of Mount St Bernard Abbey.
The newly released dates are:
Saturday 9th January 2027 – 11:00 | 14:00
Saturday 30th January 2027 – 11:00 | 14:00
Saturday 27th February 2027 – 11:00 | 14:00
Saturday 3rd April 2027 – 11:00 | 14:00
Please note, our March tour has been moved to the beginning of April as Holy Saturday falls on Saturday 27th March in 2027.
Tours cost £30 per person and bring together the process of ale making with the rich history of our Order and home here in Charnwood Forest. Guests are guided by one of our team through the brewery, learning how Tynt Meadow is produced and packaged before taking part in a guided tasting. Each guest also receives a complimentary bottle of Tynt Meadow to take home.
Tickets have historically sold quickly, so we would encourage anyone considering a tour as a Christmas present to book early. If your preferred tour has already sold out, a waiting list is available should places subsequently become available.
Our Brewery Shop will also be open to visitors on tour dates and on the run up to Christmas:
Saturday 28th November – 10.30 – 17.00
Friday 4th December – 10.30 – 16.00
Saturday 5th December* 10.30 – 17.00
Friday 11th & Saturday 12th December 10.30 – 16.00
Friday 18th & Saturday 19th December 10.30 – 16.00
Alongside Tynt Meadow and Tynt Meadow Blond, the shop stocks gifts, merchandise and a broad selection of authentic Trappist ales from monasteries across Europe – making it well worth a visit in its own right.
In other news, the Abbey Shop is currently showcasing beers from Zundert, a fellow Trappist brewery with close links to Tynt Meadow. Zundert brewed on the same type of brewhouse as ours and, like Mount St Bernard Abbey, worked with Dutch brewmaster Constant Keinemans.
Following the closure of Abdij Maria Toevlucht in 2025, Zundert is no longer in production, making remaining bottles increasingly rare. A selection of Zundert beers and glassware is available from the Abbey Shop as our featured brewery, while stocks last. Zundert beers are also available in the brewery shop, when open.
There has also been some encouraging news for Tynt Meadow this autumn.
Following its success in previous competitions, Tynt Meadow has made it through to the final of CAMRA’s Champion Bottled Beer of Britain, with judging taking place at the Norwich Beer Festival at the end of October (by the time this copy Soar Valley Life is published, we should know the results!).
Tynt Meadow also narrowly missed out on a top-three place in CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain competition last time around, something we remain immensely proud of for a beer produced here in our small brewery at Mount St Bernard Abbey.
For those looking for Christmas gifts closer to home, Tynt Meadow and Tynt Meadow Blond can also be purchased directly from our online store for national delivery. Buying directly from the brewery not only means receiving our beer from its source, but also directly supports the monastic Community at Mount St Bernard Abbey and the good causes it supports.
Tynt Meadow, our original 7.4% English Trappist Ale, is mahogany in colour with aromas of dark chocolate, liquorice and rich fruit, followed by flavours of chocolate, pepper and fig. Tynt Meadow Blond, at 5.0%, offers something altogether lighter: a bittersweet English-style pale ale with lemon zest on the nose and notes of orange, vanilla and sherbet.
To book a Brewery Tour & Tasting, purchase beer or find out more about the brewery, visit www.msbtrappist.co.uk.
Finally, on behalf of the monastic Community at Mount St Bernard Abbey, the brewery staff and our team of volunteers, we wish all readers of Soar Valley Life a peaceful Christmas and thank you for your continued support.
May God bless you this festive season.
