A chance archives discovery in East Sussex has led Harvey’s brewery to recreate a long-lost recipe from 1890 bringing a forgotten chapter of Lewes brewing history back to life.
Harvey’s brewery has unveiled Lost Brew No.156, a 7.7 per cent ABV strong ale recreated from an original brewing journal dating back to 1890.
No.156 is a golden amber, rich, full-bodied and packed with flavour. Layers of sweet malt, toasted biscuit and toffee meet ripe banana and caramelised fruit, creating a distinctive banoffee character. A firm hop bitterness balances the sweetness delivering a satisfyingly smooth finish.
The story began in 2019, when brewing historian Ron Pattinson stumbled upon a journal held in the archives of the former Beard’s brewery in Lewes. Although catalogued among Beard’s records, its pages bore the name Harvey & Son, Bridge Wharf brewery, revealing a fascinating piece of the latter’s brewing past.
The journal is believed to have belonged to Henry John Barrett, son of Henry Titlow Barrett, Harvey’s third head brewer. Henry John undertook his brewing pupillage at Harvey’s under his father before moving to fellow Lewes brewery Beard’s, taking his brewing notes with him. The journal remained among Beard’s records following the brewery’s closure in 1984, until its chance rediscovery.
Recognising its significance, Pattinson contacted Harvey’s brewing team, setting in motion a project to bring one of the forgotten recipes back to life.
In April 2026, Harvey’s marketing team visited the Keep, home to the East Sussex archives, where staff assisted in scanning the historic journal. Harvey’s now holds a digital copy of the original records, providing a valuable resource for researching and recreating these long-lost brews.
Following extensive research into the original ingredients and techniques, Harvey’s head brewer Peter Yarlett and his team have recreated Brew No.156 in the very same Grade II-listed tower brewery where it was first produced.
Remarkably, much of the brewery remains unchanged, with traditional methods such as using whole cone hops and open fermentation are still central to Harvey’s brewing today.
Brewed using heritage British barley, Sussex Fuggles and Kent Goldings, Lost Brew No.156 has another interesting distinction. Following the usual five-day fermentation, the beer continued fermenting for a further five days, an unusual approach for Harvey’s and one believed to be a first for the brewery.
Yarlett said: “It’s not every day you get the chance to brew a beer from a recipe that’s been lost for over a century, particularly in the very brewery where it was first created.”
Working from the original brewing notes has been fascinating, and the extended fermentation has given us something quite different from our usual beers.
“There are another five recipes recorded in Henry John Barrett’s journal, which we hope to recreate as part of our Lost Brews series. It’s an exciting opportunity to explore more of our brewing history and share these forgotten beers with a new generation.”
