This is a shortish note to tell you all that we have found a place to brew our beer and create the kind of place we always thought should exist. Well maybe it did exist once - when pubs were also post offices and corner shops as well as somewhere you could get a pint - but those times are long gone. The planning application has not long gone live on RB Greenwich planning portal so we are bringing your attention to it, in the hopes that you will support our vision.
We both (Stephen and Maryann) realised a few years back that our interest in beer lay beyond just drinking it. We realised the power of good beer, in bringing people together - not just in pubs but historically - our entire civilisation as human beings started because we wanted to put down roots to grow barley. Beer also has a great power to do good and we wanted to harness that, to show that it is not just for getting drunk. It is known that our favourite foods and drinks are the ones we are eating/drinking in good company, in good places. Our sense of taste doesn’t have a link to our rational brains - it is linked to the part of our brain which processes emotion and memory. Human beings are social animals and we have always relied on each other for sustenance and support.
This is where the Green Goddess, our brewpub comes in. We wanted to name our brewpub after Ninkasi, the Sumerian Goddess of beer and farming. The ode to Ninkasi is thought to contain the oldest known recipe for beer.
Our ambition is to create a brewpub which brings people together. Subject to our planning application we would also have a separate space above which would create a family friendly area, a place for people to gather in the name of local causes, a place where people can celebrate. We want to demystify beer and make brewing accessible to local people. Don’t worry if you don’t like beer because there will be good things of all kinds, and we hope to get in all sorts of local business to provide food.
We named our brewery Common Rioters to acknowledge the importance of knowing our own history as people. The Plumstead Common riots saw local people stand up against land owners trying to fence off large sections of Plumstead Common. The riots resulted in a change in law protecting common land for all. Our brewpub will be accessible for everyone, and we will always be open to suggestions for making it better.
If you would like to support us the planning application can be found here
The Green Goddess pub has it's own website too!