Malt Shovel

The sculpture was commissioned by East Staffordshire Borough Council (ESBC) to stand in Burton upon Trent. A brief was advertised nationally in April 1998 and the local authority received 70 responses, from which a shortlist of eight were selected to provide detailed proposals. The sculptor Andrew Hazell was selected to produce the sculpture. It is intended to represent a shovel used to turn grain during malting, part of the brewing process that dominated the town's industry. The shovel is rendered in stainless steel, which is often used in the modern brewing process, and stands 9 m high. A 2.75 m opening, shaped like a beer bottle, is cut into the blade of the shovel which allows people to…