Step into The Courtyard, away from the hustle and bustle of Sheringham’s Station Road and just beyond the coffee shop you’ll find an oasis of small independent units run by people who are passionate about the products they sell.
Being somewhere that you have to make an effort to seek out is one of the things that John Morgan loves about his Norfolk craft ale shop The Giddy Goat.
Since it opened in 2016, the shop has offered a taste of the county, initially through locally-produced beers from independent breweries but now including ciders, gins and spirits, and a selection of preserves and honey – all from Norfolk and a number from fairly close to Sheringham itself.
John and his wife Wendy, originally from the south of England, fell in love with the North Norfolk coast after visiting for weekends and holidays. It was while visiting the beach at Wells that John had what he describes as ‘an epiphany’ and they decided to make the county their home. He said: “We moved not really knowing what we were going to do – one idea I had was to open a pie shop. But I realised there were very few outlets that were only selling local beers and there are so many small independent breweries in Norfolk so we decided to open a beer shop.”
It was something of a change of career - John had previously worked in IT, although Wendy had owned gift shops in Reading. When seeking inspiration for a name for the new venture it was a radio show that came to the rescue. “I was listening to a phone-in,” recalled John. “One of the callers said that he and his friends had had a few drinks and been ‘as giddy as goats’ and that expression gave me the name of the shop.”
It turned out the beer and gift market had a number of similarities. “A lot of customers are looking for presents,” John explained. “And about 70 per cent of my customers are probably visitors taking home something to remind themselves of their holiday or as a gift for someone.”
But for almost all his customers it’s the eclectic range of Norfolk-brewed beers that draws them into The Giddy Goat. In some cases because they’ve visited a pub selling local beers and want to take home something they’ve enjoyed. “But sometimes,” adds John,“it’s because they have visited a pub and been disappointed to not find any Norfolk beer on sale and want to see what this area has to offer.”
While not calling himself an expert, John is happy to advise customers on styles of beer they might like. The shop is arranged with the lightest brews on the top shelves and the darkest – such as stouts and porters – at the bottom. There are gluten-free ales, vegan products, bottle-conditioned and filtered beers.
“I will usually ask customers what type of beer they like,” said John. “If they say they usually drink Guinness I’ll show them the range of stouts. If they are a fan of Adnams’ Ghost Ship I’ll be able to suggest a pale ale in a similar citrus style. Sometimes though they just want a beer with a funny name like Mad Monk (Wagtail Brewery) or Chocolate Nutter (The Why Not Brewery).”
Keeping up with trends in the beer and drinks industry is important for The Giddy Goat. Although the shop started with just beers and ciders, as the resurgence in gin continued it was Wendy’s idea to source some local gins for the shop. Now they stock seven Norfolk-produced gins including flavours such as pink grapefruit and pistachio. Three years ago they added wines from the county.
When he opened the shop, John didn’t expect to be selling beer in cans but in the space of those six years a growing number of brewers began canning rather than bottling their beer. “Beer in cans used to have something of a bad image,” he observed. “But the craft beer movement has changed that completely. From the brewer’s point of view there are cost savings in storage and transport, and cans are often preferred by younger consumers.” Ampersand Brew Co., a popular brand within the shop switched its core range to cans in early 2020.
More brewers now are experimenting with sour beers and saisons. John hasn’t seen a huge demand yet but is occasionally asked about them and already stocks beer from some of the breweries producing them, so hasn’t ruled out having them in the shop in the future.
With more choice in beers than ever before, whether you’re a real ale aficionado, a craft beer connoisseur or a champion of cider there’s almost certainly something from Norfolk on the shelves of The Giddy Goat that you’ll want to raise a glass to.
John’s 10 most popular Norfolk beers
Hare of the Dog 4.5% – The Why Not Brewery, Thorpe St Andrew: A tasty, refreshing amber ale with a fruity/bittersweet flavour and a strong hoppy aftertaste.
Chocolate Nutter 5.5% – The Why Not Brewery, Thorpe St Andrew: A dark beer with a full chocolate, nut and malty flavour.
Norfolk Cock 5.2% – Wagtail Brewery, Old Buckenham: A satisfying traditional best bitter with a hoppy aroma and a malty finish.
Black Shuck Stout Porter 4.5% – Wagtail Brewery, Old Buckenham: Dark and very full-bodied, with subtle fruity smoky undertones.
Prasto’s Porter 5.2% - Boudicca Brewing Co., West Barsham: A rich porter with a dark, fruity aroma. It’s full-bodied, with hints of roasted malt and a subtle smoky finish.
Citrus Kiss IPA 6% - Winters Brewery, Norwich: Mixed hints of zesty orange, grapefruit and lemon with hops and barley. This one has a dry finish.
Snetterton Scary Tree 4.6% - Elmtree Beers, Snetterton: A tan beer with fresh hoppy aroma and a dry Cascade hop finish.
Cocow Chocolate & Milk Stout 4.8% - Ampersand Brew Co., Diss: A rich stout with bitter chocolate flavours tempered by milk sugars. It has subtle dark caramel and coffee notes.
Jigfoot Norfolk Golden 4% - Moon Gazer, Hindringham: A true golden ale hoppy with citrus notes and crisp dry finish.
Beast of the East IPA 5.5% - Panther Brewery, Reepham: An amber IPA which uses high level of New Zealand hops to give it a strong fruity punch.
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