Stroud Brewery by-product enjoyed by Gloucester Old Spots

Three Gloucester Old Spots are enjoying nutritious and cheaper meals thanks to Stroud Brewery, which is sending them spent malt - a by-product of brewing.

The pigs live at Charlea Community Gardens, just outside Stroud in Gloucestershire.

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Bought when they were piglets from a local farmer, they are now looked after for around six months by eight families, who have purchased either a quarter or a half of a pig and share care duties.

As well as Stroud Brewery’s spent malt (the grain once all the malt sugars have been removed, which contains protein and fibre), they enjoy ‘pig nuts’ (feed containing the essential vitamins they require) and an assortment of fruit and vegetables.

"The malt helps us supplement their diet, meaning we need to buy less pig food, keeping the costs down," said Liz Gibson, who's co-ordinating the Charlea Community Pigs with husband Will.

Greg Pilley, founder and MD of Stroud Brewery, added: "Malt's an essential ingredient in beer making so there's a lot of spent malt at the end of brewing.

"But this still contains a lot of nutrients and goodness, so we don’t want it to go to waste. Fortunately, there ‘s little risk of that as there are many local farmers who want it to feed their livestock.

"However, it's great being able to donate some of it to help a community project just up the road from the brewery, and enable people to take part in their local food cycle."

Stroud Brewery opened for business in 2006 when, it says, mixing business with organic and sustainability was virtually unheard of.

It was the first UK brewery to be certified as both organic and as a B Corporation. All of its malt is repurposed - either given to local farmers for their livestock or to the hungry Thrupp pigs.

The green area next to Charlea Gardens, in which the pigs' 0.4 acre paddock sits, is of much community value too. The land was acquired with the help of several grants and a crowdfunding scheme and there are now plans to transform it into a community hub, with a natural play area and shared farming space.