A SPECIAL beer has been brewed to fulfil an Alehouse regular’s final wish.
The Merry Gardener was created in honour of Meredith Gaultier by Elusive Brewing and Ian Wisdom, Twyford Beer Festival organiser.
Mr Gaultier, known as Merry, died last week from throat cancer. As well as being a long-time punter at the Alehouse, Merry was a regular member of Team Tango, the nickname used for stewarding staff at Reading Beer Festival. He was also a volunteer Twyford Beer Festival.
Ian Wisdom was asked by Merry to brew the beer for a celebration of his life, to be held at the Alehouse later this month.
“He was a very private man, I never knew his surname” Ian explains.
“But the beer and its name The Merry Gardener was his idea.
“He was a horticulturalist and gardener who once worked at Windsor Great Park.”
Merry moved into the Reading area from north-west England for work. In the final stages of his illness, he was cared for at St Richard’s Hospice, Worcester.
All proceeds from pints sold from the cask of beer, a classic bitter featuring cascade hops from Herefordshire, will be donated to the hospice.
Andy Parker, managing director of Elusive, says that the brewery is pleased to be donating proceeds to St Richard’s.
“We were very happy to be involved in raising money for the hospice which looked after Merry, he was a familiar face to many on the local beer festival circuit,” he says.
Alehouse manager Karl Mellors agrees, saying: “Merry was an Alehouse regular well before I started drinking in here, let alone running the pub.
“He was a lovely bloke who lived up to his name, and he was always prepared to help out in the pub even though he didn’t have to.
“He dealt with his illness with good humour and serenity.”
The barrel is now conditioning ahead of Merry’s wake. His funeral takes place in Worcester on Monday, February 21.
