Charles Wells Ltd has some vegan options

Address: Havelock Street
Bedford, MK40 4LU
England
Phone: +44(0)1234 272766
Fax:
Email: websiteenquiries@wellsandyoungs.co.uk
URL: http://www.wellsandyoungs.co.uk/
Checked by: Lisa
Double checked by: Brian, AngelA, Andrew, Eric, Ian, Veronica, Al, Justin, Scott, Pete, Jamie, Stevie, Carolyn, Barry, Jonny, Lee, David, Nick
Added: almost 17 years ago
Double Checked: about 4 years ago

Products by Charles Wells Ltd:

Company email (October 2020) re: McEwan's:

"McEwan's products are either produced in a brewery where isinglass is handled or has had isinglass addition so are not suitable for Vegans."

David notes (October 2018) that Waggle Dance contains honey

Company email (July 2017)
"Our Head of Production has confirmed that Young’s London Stout is suitable for Vegans."

Company email (January 2017)
"Our cask conditioned beers all contain isinglass finings, so are unsuitable for vegans/vegetarians. All of our bottle, can and keg beers do not contain/use isinglass finings so are suitable."

Company email (October 2016)
"Isinglass is used as a fining agent in our products (Cask/Bottles) and therefore are unsuitable for Vegetarian/Vegan Consumption. There are the exception of our world beer portfolio for the likes of Estrella Damm and Kirin Ichiban."

Company email (June 2016) re: Double Chocolate Stout
"Im afraid Double Chocolate Stout is not suitable for Vegan consumption. This is due to the chance of it containing isinglass."

Company email (March 2016) regarding Banana Bread Beer:
"Banana Bread Beer is not Vegan friendly I am afraid... The brewing process uses Isinglass as a fining agent. "

Company email re: Kirin Ichiban (February 2016):
"I can confirm that Kirin Ichiban is suitable for vegetarians and we do not use Isinglass or any other animal derived products wither in the ingredients or process aids."

Company email (November 2015):

"Unfortunately we do sometimes use Isinglass in our process so non of our products can be classed as suitable for vegans... This is due to a recent process change so previously most of our bottle and keg beers had been suitable for vegans."

Company email (January 2015): re: Charles Wells DNA
"I am glad that you are enjoying DNA! We do not use isinglass in this product so it is suitable for vegetarians."

Company email (March 2014): re: Wells Sticky Toffee Pudding Ale
"To answer your question, Sticky Toffee Pudding Ale contains a small quantity of a yeast food and natural flavouring for which we do not have a list of ingredients, but otherwise to the best of our current
knowledge this product does not contain animal products.
Q: "To my knowledge, yeast nutrient does not
contain any animal ingredients, but can you possibly elaborate on the natural flavourings?"
A: "Our head of quality control in the Brewhouse has confirmed that the flavouring is suitable for vegetarians and vegans (as well as coeliacs and
is Kosher)."

Company email (January 2013):
To the best of our knowledge all our beers packaged into cans bottles and kegs are suitable for vegetarians and vegans with the possible exceptions of Waggledance (contains honey) and chocolate Stout (contains plain chocolate which is produced on the same line as dairy chocolate - although the risk of cross contamination is very low).

All our cask beers contain isinglass finings

So in addition to Directors and Bombardier you can include all beers branded under the following names:

Courage (e.g. Best and Directors)
Wells/Charles Wells (e.g. Eagle and Bombardier)
Youngs (e.g. Youngs Special London Ale, London Gold, Light Ale etc)
McEwans (e.g. McEwans Export, Lager and Champion)
Youngers (e.g Best, Scotch and Tartan)
Crest Super (from the Abington Brewery Company)

Company email: April 2011
For your information, we believe that currently all Wells' and Youngs' beers (beers branded as Charles Wells, Young's or Courage Best and Directors and Mongoose) in can, bottle and keg are suitable for vegetarians and vegans (except perhaps Waggledance which contains Honey). All cask conditioned beers are unsuitable as they are fined using isinglass finings. To the best of our knowledge, there are no fish, dairy, egg or other animal products in our beers except as described here. We do not use gelatin as a fining/clarifying agent.
[Editor's note: notice how this is the EXACT SAME copy as the other two below? It's a standard reply which means they get the question often enough to have a response prepared! Vegans on the radar yo!)]

Company email: Aug 2010
"For your information, we believe that currently all Wells' and Young's beers (beers branded as Charles Wells or Young's or Courage Best and Directors and UK brewed Red Stripe Lager) in can, bottle and keg are
suitable for vegetarians and vegans (except perhaps Waggledance which contains Honey). All cask conditioned beers are unsuitable as they are fined using isinglass finings. To the best of our knowledge, there are no fish, dairy, egg or other animal products in our beers except as described here."

Company email: March 2010
"we believe that currently all Wells' and Young's beers (beers branded as Charles Wells or Young's or Courage Best and Directors) in can, bottle and keg are suitable for vegetarians and vegans (except Waggledance which contains Honey). All cask conditioned beers are unsuitable as they are fined using isinglass finings. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other dairy, egg or other animal products in our beers"

Company email: May 2009
"'Cask Conditioned' beer is otherwise known as 'traditional cask beer', and this means that it is not served from a 'keg' but from a 'cask', where the beer is naturally matured and 'conditioned'. This type of beer is served in pubs/bars from a hand pull dispense system direct from a cask. Keg and can beers are 'brewery conditioned' as are most bottles beers (except for 'bottle conditioned' beers which contain yeast). For our beers, it is only beer served from a cask which contains isinglass finings, which is used to settle out the yeast and other protein material. Isinglass finings is often also used in wine manufacture.

I hope this helps - bottled Chocolate Stout is not fined with isinglass finings, and so is ok for vegetarians "

"For your information, we believe that currently all Wells' and Young's beers (beers branded as Charles Wells or Young's or Courage Best and Directors) in can, bottle and keg are suitable for vegetarians and vegans (except Waggledance which contains Honey).
All traditional cask conditioned beers are unsuitable as they are fined using isinglass finings. "

December 2007
Company email:
Further to your question about the suitability of our Chocolate Stout for vegans, I confirm that this product should be acceptable for you as no finings are used in its production (isinglass), and the chocolate added is stated to be suitable for vegans.

In general all our keg, bottle and canned beers are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, with the exception of Waggledance (honey), and perhaps Kirin (where in the very early stages of yeast propogation some egg albumen is used - very small quantities, and likely not to be detectable in final product). All our Cask beers are all fined with isinglass finings, and are therefore not suitable.