By
Rebecca Gibson |
P&O Cruises’ Britannia is to serve the largest selection of British beers at sea when she launches next March.
The cruise line has developed the Great British Beer Menu, which features 70 different bottled beers, ales and ciders from 56 UK counties including pilsners, ales, stouts, gluten-free beer and speciality beers.
P&O has spent several months souring the selection of beers and decided upon products from smaller, local, artisan brewers such as Windsor & Eton Brewery in Berkshire, Elgoods Brewery in Cambridge, Whitewater Brewery in Belfast, Fyne Ales in Dumbarton, Felinfoel Brewery in Pembrokeshire, Okell`s on the Isle of Man and the Hilden Brewing Company in County Antrim. Beers have also been chosen from well-known breweries including Marstons in the West Midlands, Greene King in Suffolk, Belhaven in Dumfries, Fullers in London, Theakstons in North Yorkshir, Brew Dog in Aberdeen and Hall & Woodhouse in Dorset.
“The UK boasts more breweries per head of population than any other country in the world with the industry growing at more than 10% each year,” said P&O’s marketing director Christopher Edgington. “This new beer menu celebrates the growing popularity of traditionally made British beers and ciders and reflects our aim of showcasing the very best that Britain has to offer.”
The Great British Beer Menu is available in Brodie’s, a classic pub named after one of P&O Cruises’ founders Brodie McGhie Wilcox. Brodie’s offers a variety of entertainment including quizzes, live music and karaoke, as well as poker and roulette tables in the adjoining casino.
Britannia, will accommodate 3,600 passengers and is the largest cruise ship ever built for both P&O and the British market. Expected to boost the line’s capacity by a quarter, the ship will feature 13 bars and 13 dining venues, the Oasis Spa and open-deck retreat, the line's largest spa and Oasis Villa, a sports arena, four swimming pools including a Serenity pool and bar and a library. Guests will also be able to enjoy various entertainment venues including The Limelight Club, a 936-seat theatre with an LED screen and a multi-purpose TV studio hosting shows with guest speakers, cinema screenings, radio plays or game shows. The ship will also offer 27 single cabins – more than any other cruise ship – and 15 of those cabins will have outside balconies.
In addition, British TV chef James Martin will develop The Cookery Club, the first cookery school onboard a British cruise ship, while award-winning patissier Eric Lanlard will open his first patisserie range in the Market Café in the ship’s three-tier atrium. Established P&O favourites Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar and Olly Smith will also contribute to the onboard culinary options, which include speciality restaurants and gala dinners. Guests will be able to participate in cookery classes under the guidance of the chefs, while guest chefs will provide onboard assistance to classes of up to 24 people.