A COLD wind was blowing at Badger's Cross, Gulval, as Cornwall's newest brewery was opened by Penzance Mayor Jan Ruhrmund.

But the cold was kept at bay by supplies of freshly brewed beer as guests were welcomed to the opening of Josh Dunkley's Cornish Crown Brewery.

Josh and his wife Michelle have been running the popular, Good Beer Guide-listed Crown Inn in Penzance for seven and a half years, but all that time Josh has dreamt of adding a microbrewery to the business.

The fulfilment of that dream is a six-barrel, state of the art, nicely laid out brewery. Beer-related quotations adorn the walls, such as Benjamin Franklin's famous assertion that "beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy".

The initial range comprises three beers: a 3.6 per cent ABV session brew known as the ale, a 3.9 per cent bitter – for me the pick of the bunch with its lovely hop notes and long bitter finish – and a 4.8 per cent pale beer, with more hop content. There are plans for more beers and Josh will look to his regulars at the Crown for inspiration, with suggestion forms for future brews on the bar.

The plant is six brewer's barrels in size, meaning Josh – who works alone at the brewery – can produce some 8,500 pints a week. Clearly that's more than one pub would serve, but Josh is already interest in selling the beers elsewhere and is particularly targeting beer festivals around the country.

Every novice brewer needs a guiding hand and in Josh's case this came from David McCaig's Otter brewery team in Devon, whose beer has sold well at the Crown in the past. The brewery's corporate design has been created locally, by Nixon Design, of Hayle.

As with most new breweries these days there is a strong green ethos behind the business. A borehole has been dug at the Badger's Cross site to access spring water, and it is hoped that local grain can be sourced. Already, spent grain from the brewing process is being enjoyed by Gulval cattle.

Josh clearly takes great pride in his new project but is not complacent about the challenges ahead. He smiles as he looks up at the original old Crown Brewery sign swinging from the front of the brewery.

This wooden sign had been in his lounge for years, given to him by a London publican with a Crown Inn premises but no brewery. Attached to a modern plant it is a sign of traditional values behind the business. Perfect for Cornwall's newest brewery.