Episodes

How do you help get the beers you brew into the hands of more people? For Kate Hyde and the team at Brighton’s Hand Brew Co, art is a valuable vehicle to help you do just that. Kate is the head brewer and product director for Hand Brew Co, based in Brighton. She has been brewing for over a decade. And while Kate’s journey has taken her from the UK to Australia then onto France, she has since gone onto establish herself as a revered member of the brewing community in the South of England. Both...

Since being founded by Adam Henderson in 2020, Azvex Brewing Company has gone on to become of the UK’s most respected producers of hop-forward pale ales and IPAs, fruited sours, and imperial stouts. And head brewer Jack Walker has played a huge part in that journey. Known and respected across the land, Jack has helped create a wealth of fantastic beers at the Liverpool-based business. And for that reason, we invited him to speak at our Brewers Lectures in Manchester last month. While he gave ...

Quality assurance helps ensure all aspects of the brewing process are in place to create a product that both meets and exceeds consumer expectation. And at Round Corner Brewing in Melton Mowbray, head brewer Lara Lopes knows just how important quality control and quality assurance is when it comes to producing great beer. Lara began her career with AB InBev in Brazil before moving to the UK to join Round Corner Brewing. During her tenure, the brewery has earned prestigious accolades, including...

Jim Rangeley is the lead brewer of the mixed fermentation Funk Dungeon project at Sheffield’s revered Abbeydale Brewery. He is also a co-owner of the business, which became an Employee Ownership Trust in 2024. In 2025 Jim celebrates a decade of working in the beer industry and he’s also our very own Brewers Choice Awards ‘Brewer of the Year’. When not in the brewhouse, Jim is most likely to be found running up a big hill, or recovering from said run in the pub. So on a rare break from both of...

Meet Jordan Childs. Jordan is the co-founder and chief product officer at Mash Gang. What started in 2020 as an adventurous experiment in the world of alcohol-free beer, Mash Gang have become a powerhouse in the world of no-and-low. Known for beers such as Chug, Cult and Lesser Evil as well as many more, Jordan and the team have moved the dial when it comes to alcohol-free beers. So much so that last year Mash Gang were acquired by DioniLife, a newly-launched company focused on non-alcoholic a...

If you ever paid a visit to North Bar, the seminal Leeds-based craft beer bar, sometime between 2013 or 2017 there’s a good chance you might have met Alex Millhouse-Smith or one of his equally excellent colleagues. Working at North Bar, Alex would further develop his love and knowledge of great beer. And he’d share that enthusiasm and expertise with the bar’s wealth of customers, too. A desire to broaden his grasp of beer would lead him to become part of North Brewing on its production side befo...

In the UK and elsewhere in Europe, there is no shortage of fantastic beer festivals and events to keep the industry busy. And last month one fantastic addition to the brewing calendar returned for its third successful year. At Kirkstall Brewery in Leeds, brewers from across the land descended upon Yorkshire for ‘The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales’. A unique celebration of the history of brewing, Kirkstall challenged breweries across the UK to dig deep into their local history, and exhibit beers...

A full-scale brand refresh is an important landmark in any brewery’s journey. Even more so when it helps mark the company’s 10th anniversary and the start of an exciting and powerful new chapter following a testing time for both the business and the wider brewing industry. And this month Mondo Brewing Company, the independent London-based brewery, has marked its 10 years in beer with an impressive brand revamp. Ahead of the brewery’s official birthday this July, Mondo have employed a bold new ...

Staying true to yourself, building a positive working culture, creating a business people admire and also producing beers that consumers and your peers enjoy are traits any brewery owner strives for. Today’s guest has all of those in abundance. Since opening for business in the summer of 2016, Lost and Grounded Brewers of Bristol, have cemented themselves as one of the finest breweries – not only in the UK – but Europe, too. Founded by Annie Clements and Alex Troncoso, the brewery as made its ...

Across a 12 month period, Laura Rangeley has celebrated 10 years working at Abbeydale Brewery in Sheffield. And in October last year, alongside the rest of the team, Laura and her colleagues became part of an Employee Ownership Trust, taking ownership of the business from founders Patrick and Sue. Not only that her colleague and husband Jim was recognised as the Brewer of the Year at our very own Brewers Choice Awards, too…. At the celebrated Abbeydale Brewery in Sheffield, Laura walked through...

In the brewing and distilling industries there is a mutual appreciation of the craftsmanship, skill and process involved in creating these fantastic liquids. And today’s guest, having worked and studied in both fields, is well placed to do just that. Earlier this month Glen Scotia, part of Loch Lomond Distillery, unveiled Glen Scotia 50 Year Old. Glen Scotia Elements of Campbeltown Release Number One: Air is described as an exceptional 50-year-old single malt which marks a pivotal moment in the...

This year RedWillow Brewery is raising a glass to 15 years of brewing bold, balanced beers. They’re marking the milestone with a packed calendar of collaborations, reimagined classics, and monthly giveaways — as well as a recent haul of prestigious awards. Starting out in 2010, RedWillow Brewery has long since established itself as a leading light in UK brewing. Founded by Toby and Caroline McKenzie, the business has grown and evolved without ever undermining its core values. To mark this pres...

Securing important early listings is a milestone of any new business. And earlier this spring, Red Fin Cider did just that by sealing a listing for both its Fresh Apple and their Meloncherry styles at Waitrose. 44 Waitrose stores now stock Red Fin Cider, a product launched by three industry veterans and friends, Freddie Rouse, Dave Tugwell and Graeme Baldwin, who saw a need for a new and vibrant brand in the category that was both independently craft but also accessible and a real celebration o...

Changes to off-sales, Martyn’s Law, amendments to smoking rules and introduction of Digital IDs are all key developments that those owning and running taprooms need to be aware of. So with that in mind, we welcomed Piers Warne of TLT to our Brewers Lectures in Bristol last month. Piers has 20- plus years’ experience licensing premises for the sale of alcohol and other licensable activities. This includes licensing breweries for direct sales to customers, online sales and for tap rooms. He has ...

Earlier this month Lost Cause Brewing, the independent brewery, founded in 2024 by Vik and Colin Stronge, completed a crowdfunding campaign help to bring beer production home to Castleford. So what better time to hear from one of the excellent brewery’s founders. Whie Lost Cause Brewing might be new, its founders are no strangers to making great beer. Head brewer Colin Stronge has spent over 20 years crafting beers at some of the UK’s most celebrated breweries, including Marble Beers, Buxton B...

Opening your own brewery, at any point is time, comes with its own challenges and hurdles to overcome. Just ask the team at Great Beyond Brewing Company, and many of their peers. But John Driebergen, Ollie Parker and Nick Walsh have shown that with hard work, determination and a wealth of brewing skill you can succeed. Their ever-popular taproom in Hoxton, London, is testament to just that. And in their formative first years they have sealed a trio of awards at our very own Brewers Choice Awar...

How can you help keep your brewery relevant for the next generation? Tim Weaver, founder of The Brand Weaver, is on hand to tell you how. The Brand Weaver is an agency on a mission to even the playing field in brewery branding and marketing. Right now, he explains, a handful of breweries dominate with slick branding and sharp messaging—while the rest are left behind. Tim is here to change that. His work has helped breweries double their revenue, land two new trade accounts a week, and even wi...

Next month the Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America takes place in Indianapolis. From April 28th to 1st May, America’s largest gathering for the beverage alcohol industry will bring together countless figures from across the drinks sectors. And for Ann Obenchain, she lovingly likens it to a ‘taproom on steroids’. Because as we all know, such events are the perfect opportunity to learn, and to reconnect. Ann Obenchain is the vice president of marketing and communications for the Brewer...

“What Did You Post That For?“ That’s the question asked by Charlie Harding, founder of Bonne Vivante Marketing. And in Bristol recently she shared her top tips and insights designed to help improve your social media presence. At Bonne Vivante, Charlie works with hospitality venues and businesses in a freelance capacity. She does marketing, PR, copywriting and currently works with two breweries, Basement Beer and RedWillow, running their social media, general marketing and a touch of PR for goo...

Every so often a beer comes along and things just click. A combination of brilliant branding, a brilliant brewery and, of course, a brilliant beverage are essential ingredients for a beer that resonates with the consumer. And with London Black, the 4.4% Nitro Porter from Anspach & Hobday, you’ve got just that. The brewery, founded by Paul Anspach & Jack Hobday back in 2013, has gone from strength to strength in recent years and much of that growth can be attributed to their flagship beer. Lond...

Off the back of his most recent address at this week’s Brewers Lectures in Bristol, we revisit Piers Warne’s talk from February 2024 where we asked him to share his experiences and expertise from the licensing world, the opportunities that can arise and the potential pitfalls to avoid. Piers is a licensing lawyer at TLT and has 20- plus years’ experience licensing premises for the sale of alcohol and other licensable activities. This includes licensing breweries for direct sales to customers, o...

Meet Bec Blake. In the last 13 years she has worked in almost every corner of the craft beer industry. From working in her local beer bar, she moved her expertise and passion for the industry over to the US where she became the Head Beer Buyer at Whole Foods Market. From there she ventured into B2B sales as the Southern California off-trade representative for Stone Distribution, navigating a fiercely independent portfolio of over 50 suppliers including Alesmith, Russian River and El Segundo Bre...

What beers have you enjoyed brewing lately? For today’s guest it would probably be an alcohol-free Negroni sour, or perhaps an alcohol-free Margarita Gose. Quite the shift from Delirium Nocturnum, the Belgian Strong Dark Ale that helped open her eyes to the wonderful world of beer. But for Caitlín McErlean, part of the team at Manchester-based Cloudwater, her journey in brewing has been anything but conventional. For Caitlín, a love of languages would lead her to a degree in Chinese Studies. Or...

“It takes two flints to make a fire” Where did the inspiration for your brewery name come from? For Alex Kerr, founder of Windsor, Berkshire-based Two Flints, he has his own story to tell. And drawing influence from the famous quote from Louisa May Alcott’s coming-of-age novel Little Women was just the place to start. Opening at the end of 2022, Two Flints recently has marked its second anniversary brewing in Berkshire. A town that has been the home of Windsor and Eton Brewery for more than 1...