Cooper’s story of an ancient craft
Jonathan Manby has worked at Theakston’s for 25 years and is one
of the last remaining master coopers in the country. talks to him about this ancient craft. Pictures by James Hardisty.
casks, Theakston’s saw an opportunity to start buying up wooden casks because they were cheap and we’re now one of the last ones that use them. Simon Theakston is in charge now and he’s committed to keeping the wooden cask trade alive.”
If you asked most ale drinkers they would probably approve of their beer being served from wooden casks. They do, however, require a bit more maintenance which is why most breweries moved on to metal or plastic casks.
That said, wooden casks can last a long time.
“If a stave breaks it can be brought back into the workshop and replaced so a cask can last for about 40 years.”
Given that plastic casks can split and end up being thrown away and metal ones can dent more easily, it shows that wooden ones can be a good, sustainable option. Though the secret of any good cask is, says Jonathan, quite simple - “one that doesn’t leak”.
He still makes oak casks each year for licensees who want their ales served that way, though most of his work these days revolves around repairing existing casks rather than creating new ones. At the moment he’s working on ex-whiskey (54 gallon) casks and knocking these down into either
Theakston’s visitor centre tour – and at fairs, festivals and shows all over the country.
He uses the same methods and tools to create casks that coopers have done for centuries and watching in action is always a big draw. “People don’t realise how few coopers there are in the country and it’s something we try to make them aware of and at the same time show them the skill of the trade,” he says.
This was all put on hold during the lockdown and, with his apprentice furloughed, he’s been concentrating on sorting out the various casks that have come back from the pubs and cleaning them using hot water and steam.
“We can’t just leave the casks lying dormant for a long period of time. If you get any mold from beer being left inside you have to un-head the casks and scrub them out.”
Today, Theakston’s and Samuel Smith’s are believed to be the only breweries that still train apprentice coopers in this country. It’s something of a badge of honour for the county. “All the coopers are up in Yorkshire these days,” says Jonathan.
And a quarter of a century after he started at Theakston’s he still enjoys his work. “You can’t beat making something from scratch, plus you’re also giving pleasure to other people who enjoy the Old Peculier that comes out of the casks.”
There’s pride, too, in the sense of history encased in this most ancient of trades. “If it died out then it would be lost forever so we need to keep it going. It’s a craft and it’s part of our heritage. Coopering goes right back to Egyptian times and we’re just a continuation of that long line.”