Reader’s Choice 2021 — The 13 Most Popular Pellicle Features of the Year
It’s been a funny old year.
I hope, with sincerity, that next year I don’t have to begin this annual roundup with a similar refrain. In truth, after looking back over the content we’ve published over the past 12 months and drilling down into our analytics to see who’s read what and where they’re reading from, I couldn’t be happier.
Although overall clickthrough to the site itself has been pretty much flat, the average unique number of visitors to Pellicle has increased by almost 30%. In fact, over 82,000 people found their way to our site this year. With that sincerity once again, I hope you found something to read that delighted you while you were here.
Where in much of 2020 it felt a lot like we were chasing our tails just to keep going, this year it felt as though our feet were under the table, and we were able to press on with a glut of exciting features. In fact, we published 74 pieces of work in total, which included seven podcast episodes. Most importantly, in doing so, we worked with over 60 freelance writers, illustrators and photographers, all of whom were paid fairly for their work thanks to the support of our Patreon subscribers, and our long-time sponsor, Hop Burns & Black.
I’d like to take this moment to thank each and every one of them for their efforts, and their belief in what we’re trying to do. In addition, I’d like to thank every single one of you, whether you chucked us a few quid, retweeted or shared a piece you loved, told a friend about us, or just clicked through to spend a few minutes reading. We appreciate it immensely.
Perhaps most significantly, your support has allowed us to bring in the amazingly talented Katie Mather and Lily Waite as associate editors, helping with the day-to-day running of the site, as well as bringing in their ideas and thinking to our editorial process. It’s still early days, but we think their involvement will help Pellicle develop to the fullest of its potential, something I don’t think Jonny and I would’ve managed on our own.
Early in the new year I’m going to reveal our plan for 2022, and how we plan to achieve it. It’s a small, but vital step in our evolution into the kind of publication we want to be. A model that puts our contributors front and centre, as well as our readers. We’re also close to announcing a brand new podcast sponsor, which we’re hugely excited about, and is another indicator of the kind of business we’re aiming to be. Keep an ear out for next week's episode(s) to hear who that is.
Until then, I’ll leave you with the 13 stories we published this year that excited you the most, leading to the big reveal of our most-read feature this year. Why 13, you ask? Well, it’s important to me that we include stories from our entire remit within this list, which includes cider and wine, as well as beer and food. And, seeing how many of you read our top two pieces (which were way above anything else we published this year in terms of pageviews) I figured it’s a good excuse to get some pieces I honestly feel should be doing similar numbers in front of you. Call it a belated Christmas gift from us, to you.
At this point, I’d like to wish you all the happiest of new year’s from all of us at Pellicle, and leave you with a promise that we’ll be continuing to bring you more of the same in 2022. Until then, cheers.
—Matthew Curtis, December 2021
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13. Witches, Feminism and Male Tears — A Conversation with Fleur Godart and Louise Los of Vins & Volailles
Words: Ginger Rose Clark
Photography: Tiphaine Caro
Although technically only our 22nd most popular piece of the year, this wonderful interview conducted by Ginger Rose Clark and beautifully shot by Tipaine Caro is our most popular wine piece of the year, and thus makes it onto this list. In fact, it’s our most popular wine feature of all time. And I’m not surprised by that, because it’s the story of a winemaker trying to make a difference in their industry, and from the sounds of things, succeeding. We applaud Vins & Volailles for their efforts in making the wine world more inclusive. Don’t skip this if you’ve not had a chance to read it yet.
12. Lying Snowblind in the Sun — The Inherent Whiteness of British Beer Writing
Words: David Jesudason
Illustration: Sophie Parsons
It’s important that you read this piece. It’s for this reason I extended our most-read list past a more sensible number, for the benefit of those who might’ve missed it the first time around. Not only is this an important analysis of how beer writing in the UK is occupied by mostly white writers, but for us, at Pellicle we hope it serves as a demonstration of intent. While we aim to serve our core objective to the fullest and produce pieces that celebrate the joy to be found from our favourite drinks, now that we have our feet under the table, it’s high time we explored some more pressing issues and commissioned the right writers to produce them.
If that’s you, check out our pitching guide including full rates here.
11. The Analogue Perry — Cider and Perrymaker Kevin Minchew in Ashton Cross, Gloucestershire
Words: Gabe Cook
Photography: Nicci Peet
We published a fair few profiles of some incredible cidermakers and other interesting cider personalities this year, but the one that captured the most attention was this missive on legendary producer Kevin Minchew from Gabe “The Ciderologist” Cook. You can almost taste the fabulous sounding Stinking Bishop perry as Gabe’s tasting notes leap off the page. A fascinating tale about someone whose produce I dearly hope to try someday, if I’m lucky enough.
10. From House to Home — Forest & Main Brewing Company, Ambler, Pennsylvania
Words: Anne Wallentine
Photography: Stacey Salter Moore
Forest & Main are the kind of brewery that fascinates me. Not because they’re a brewery that cultivates hype and scarcity, but because they do the opposite; welcoming people into their brewpub for some accessible beers in a friendly, cosy environment. That the writer, Anne Wallentine, initially approaches this story from the angle of someone who doesn’t really drink beer but finds a brewery, and beers, that they love, makes this story as inviting as the brewpub itself. Perhaps this is just my kind of hype…
9. Hop Fidelity — The Highs and Lows of the UK’s Independent Bottle Shops
Words: Neil Walker
Illustration: Laurel Molly
When we initially published this story back in May, I wasn’t sure how it would land with our audience. I feared that it might lean too close to trade, or business writing. But I needn’t have, as this story resonated with both industry and consumer alike. It’s been a really challenging year for bottle shops—stuck in the needlessly awkward space between pubs and an increasing number of breweries choosing to sell direct to their customers. While some of that hardship is detailed here, it also shows a few glimmers of hope. Keep supporting your local, folks, they really need you.
8. Everybody Knows That They Make Moonshine — Abbeydale Brewery, Sheffield
Words: Martin Flynn
Photography: Mark Newton
Brewery profiles are our bread and butter here at Pellicle, and I was delighted to see this one from Martin Flynn garner so much attention. Abbeydale is genuinely one of the most delightful breweries in the UK, producing what is hands down some of the best cask beer out there, plus a raft of interesting, more experimental stuff, like the barrel-aged beers that emerge from its Funk Dungeon project. Sheffield is lucky to have Abbeydale, and I’m glad we got to tell its story this year.
7. Where You're Meant To Be
Words & Photography — Jonathan Hamilton
Our year began with this beautifully emotive and transparent piece of writing from my friend, and Pellicle co-founder Jonny Hamilton. I know from experience how challenging it is to both talk about and reconcile one’s own mental health, and the fact this resonated with so many people demonstrates, for me at least, how important it is to publish essays like this. It was also the first full length piece he’s written for the mag, and you’ll be pleased to know a follow up is due in just a couple of weeks.
6. Desi Style — The History and Significance of England's Anglo-Asian Pubs
Words: David Jesudason
Illustration: Tida Bradshaw
This piece written by David Jesudason is so important, not just because it’s about an area of beer that is so underserved by beer writing, but that it’s demonstrative of how many stories within beer culture just like this are still waiting to be told. By centring white, male stories within beer, features like this have been overlooked for too long, but thanks to writers like David it’s great to see them starting to be told. This piece also picked up gongs at both the British and North American Guild of Beer Writers’ awards this year, and deservedly so.
5. A Time and A Place — Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Words: David Nilsen
Illustration: Tida Bradshaw
Despite this being one of our most recently published pieces it has already skyrocketed into our top five for 2021. This is unsurprising for a couple of reasons: firstly because Sierra Nevada Celebration is literally the cult beer of the winter season, and secondly because this profile by David Nilsen uncovers some fascinating, previously unknown nuggets about how this beer is produced. Centennial hops can smell like roses if they’re harvested at the right time? Who knew!?
4. Pouring Light into Ashes — The Evening Star, Brighton
Words: Phil Mellows
Illustration: Grace Helmer
If we do anything on Pellicle in 2022, it will be to commission more profiles of wonderful pubs. We love producing them, and you love reading them. I’m so happy that this, quite frankly, superb piece of writing from Brightonian Phil Mellows drew the attention that it did. Mostly, I’ll admit, thanks to the supporters of Brighton and Hove Albion football club, who shared this piece far and wide. Despite my footballing allegiance being cemented to my beloved Lincoln City, please allow me to say this once: up the Seagulls!
3. How Fumio Tanga is Bridging the Izakaya-Pub Divide with Sho Foo Doh
Words: Tim Anderson
Illustration: Grace Helmer
If someone had told me at the start of the year that of our three most popular features this year, two would be about food, I would have laughed. While it’s encouraging to see how our audiences for cider, wine and food stories have grown this year, beer usually rules the roost here at Pellicle. However, when you have a writer as brilliant as Tim Anderson excitedly covering one of his favourite chefs—in this case, Fumio Tanga of Sho Foo Doh—you have a combination that is irresistible. I hope plenty of you made it over to the Filly Brook to enjoy some of Fumio’s sensational food this year.
This story was also published in Tim’s latest cookbook, Your Home Izakaya, which you can buy here.
2. Everything in its Right Place — The Brewery of St. Mars of the Desert, Sheffield
Words and Photography: Matthew Curtis
I wrote the first paragraph of this piece in January 2020 as my train pulled out of Sheffield station, slightly inebriated, and filled with joy and excitement after a wonderful day spent with Dann and Martha from the Brewery of St. Mars of the Desert. Reaching for my headphones and searching for the soundtrack to my journey, I decided on Radiohead’s timeless Kid A and agreed with the title track. Everything in that moment really did feel in its right place. As the soothing tones from a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 synthesiser filled my ears, I considered how this article would take shape. It would end up taking me almost a year to finish it, but I think it was worth the wait. I hope you all agree.
1. Bun! A Taxonomy of the British Bread Roll
Words: Katie Mather
Illustration: Laurel Molly
Sometimes a piece of writing so good, so urgent, so thoroughly invested in by the author, that it fills you with the kind of excitement that makes the hairs on your arm stand up on end after just a handful of paragraphs. That’s exactly what happened to me when Katie Mather turned in this magnum opus of a feature; a comprehensive taxonomy of the British bread roll. In terms of views this is a monster, having been shared far and wide, and still occasionally being one of the most popular pieces in a calendar month, just because people keep sharing it.
Do read it if you haven’t already. It’s essential. It’s a piece that doesn’t just sum up the weirdness of the bread roll and its place in the UK, but the idiosyncrasy of British culture in general. To which I’ll end this roundup of so much wonderful writing with a quote from this piece’s author, as it feels pretty apt at this moment. Thanks again to all of you for reading this year, I can’t wait to reveal what we’ve got up our sleeves next.
“The words we use make the world lucid, and denote our place within it. I don’t think we’ve been overthinking it. Words matter.”
