HoCo Brewery, Restaurant Resurface After Coronavirus Pandemic

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Marylanders love sipping the latest creations at Manor Hill Tavern and dining on trendy, tasty dishes at Victoria Gastro Pub. But when the coronavirus pandemic hit, everything shut down. Now, the family-run businesses are gaining ground as everything gradually reopens across the state.

Located on the Marriner Family’s 54-acre working farm in Ellicott City, Manor Hill Farm is home to Manor Hill Brewing, Howard County’s first and Maryland’s largest farm brewery. The family also owns Victoria Gastro Pub, which opened in November 2007, followed by Manor Hill Brewing in June 2015 and Manor Hill Tavern in February 2017. Corey Mull, chief marketing officer for Manor Hill Brewing and Victoria Restaurant Group, told Patch that the farm used for raising ingredients was purchased in 2012.

"When my in-laws Randy and Mary bought Manor Hill, it was growing corn and hosting cattle. We currently have corn, hops, egg-laying chickens, Angus cattle, beehives, fruits, vegetables and herbs. We grow corn on our farm that goes into every beer. In some of our beers, it is the showcase ingredient, like our Pilsner. In other beers, it is just one of many ingredients. We also use fruit, herbs and vegetables (peppers) from our garden in small batch beers," Mull said.

More than 100 beers were crafted in the brewery's first five years. At any given time, a dozen or so beers are available, including the core five or six year-round offerings. It takes an entire team to produce the beverages.

"Conversations are had with me, our ops director and the brewers. We talk freely. And openly. Some ideas are better than others. But ultimately, the brewers execute the ideas. There’s a lot of latitude for them to experiment in the brewhouse. And at the end of the day, we just need to make sure the end product is delicious," Mull said.

Victoria Gastro Pub is best described as upscale pub food with an international and American style. Manor Hill Tavern features brick oven Neapolitan style pizzas, as well as contemporary tavern fare with a fun twist.

"We try to keep our food and beverage options varied to appeal to as many people as possible. There are certainly differences like Victoria getting more business lunch/happy hour crowd while Manor Hill Tavern gets a younger late night crowd. That was pre-COVID," Mull said.

Another way to reach out to customers and bring in an additional source of revenue is through its recently launched Manor Hill Farm Stand.

"It’s open at the farm every Friday and Saturday when our farm/brewery is open. It’s like a mini farmers market right on the farm. We have all items produced or grown on the farm - fruits, vegetables, pickles, relish, pies, flowers… and Manor Hill beef," Mull said. "We’re constantly expanding our offerings at this new farm stand and the reception has been great so far."

Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, two festivals were held at the farm. In June, Farm Fest celebrated the business' anniversary and then Harvest at the Hill in October to recognize the harvest season.

"Both have live music, yard games, food trucks and a bunch of limited releases. Our farm was open to the public for visitors on Fridays and Saturdays. From time to time, we would also host private events where people would rent the brewery for their exclusive use," Mull said.

Since the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down, Farm Fest couldn't be held this June, when the business would have celebrated its fifth anniversary.

"Visits dropped to zero as required. Like every restaurant, we were hit hard. We closed the Tavern for a while and were curbside only at both places until we were allowed to reopen. We are seeing more business than we did in March/April, but it’s not enough and there is a long way to go. We quickly developed a website for curbside ordering and were able to distribute our beer directly to consumers through our safe, contactless curbside. We still do this on Monday-Saturday. All of our sales during the pandemic have been can sales, with limited business going to restaurants where draft beer is more prevalent," Mull said. "There is space on the farm for folks to spread out and be safe."

The farm and brewery is open Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays noon to 7 p.m. and Sundays noon to 7 p.m. The gastro pub is open Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.