WORKERS at ICL Boulby were able to celebrate Christmas and New Year in a very special way — with the mine’s own speciality beers.

Among the seasonal gifts being distributed by the company will be more than 500 packs of specially labelled ‘Beers of Boulby’ including bottles of lager, ruby bitter and pale ale.

The beers were all produced from the prize-winning Great Yorkshire Brewery at Cropton, near Pickering, North Yorkshire.

ICL Boulby’s General Manager Andrew Fulton said: “After one of the most significant years in Boulby’s history, with us becoming the world’s only producer of the mineral polyhalite, we wanted to show our appreciation of the tremendous contribution of everyone involved with the company in meeting the challenge of switching from potash to the new product.

“Our sales and marketing devised the ‘Beers of Boulby’ as part of promotion programme for polyhalite—which is branded as Polysulphate—so what better way than to give our staff the chance to toast their own success.

“At the same time we are sending packs to key members of the local community who play such an important role in supporting the mine.”

Among those who will be drinking a toast to Boulby will be Loftus Mayor Barry Hunt—the company recently supported him on his funding-raising efforts for the armed forces charity SSAFA which saw him spend 11 nights sleeping in the open at war memorials across the area.

Mr Fulton added: “We were delighted to make a financial contribution to Barry’s tremendous efforts for such a worthy cause hopefully he will be able to enjoy his Boulby Beer in the comfort of his own home over the festive season.”