Brewers Journal Podcast

When America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold… We’ve all probably heard that saying, or at least a variant of it. In beer, it’s no secret that many US brewers appreciated and were often inspired by classic British styles. And in turn many brewers in the UK, Europe, and beyond have been galvanised by the wealth of creations to emerge from modern US brewing.  One such outfit operating in that landscape is Finback. Founded in 2011, Finback Brewery is born from a passion for brewing and experimentation. After a long search combing through back streets, along canals, under bridges and industrial no-mans lands, the team found a space in Queens in 2013.  Finback would go on to release its first beers brewed in Queens in January of 2014 and the brewery is proud to call Queens home, being part of the diverse and rich culture of the borough. Basil Lee, if the co-founder of Finback, a business that continues to brew exceptional beers through iteration and rotation deploying a variety of hops, ingredients, and techniques as a creative journey in bringing unique beers to the consumer.  With a previous career in design, Basil brought strong training in process and collaboration in building Finback as an engaging beer experience. And with that in mind, we invited Basil to deliver the keynote address at our 2023 Brewers Congress. In this episode, Basil discusses how the industry has evolved in the decade Finback has been in business. He looks at the ways consumer tastes have changed and why, 10 years in, he feels that much of beer and brewing is now about going back to basics.

We have all taken different routes on our journey in beer and today’s guest has taken a path from Wigan, leading to London before heading some 40 miles out to Wokingham in Berkshire. Hayley Pearce is a brewer at Siren Craft Brew. Originally from the north of England, Hayley headed south in 2008 to study Biochemistry at Imperial College London.  In 2012 she joined the Fuller’s Graduate Programme and it soon became clear that her future lay in the brewhouse. Progressing from junior brewer to shift brewer and now with an IBD Diploma in her pocket Hayley was ready for a new challenge.   At Fuller’s she helped commission and run the Pilot Brewery until 2021, when she was drawn by the song of the Siren where she continues to spread her infectious enthusiasm. In this episode, recorded at our Brewers Congress in London, Hayley recounts her career so far, the lessons she has learned along the way and her hope that her journey in beer can inspire others, too.

Nikola Marjanovic, a brewery manager with expertise in food technology and microbiology, shares his incredible journey in the UK brewing scene. He discusses his pivotal role in expanding Beavertown and the vibrant craft beer community. Nikola highlights the challenges of building state-of-the-art breweries and the importance of continuous learning and teamwork. He emphasizes innovative production techniques and the transformative impact of Heineken's investment on brewery culture and output. Get insights into the thriving craft beer industry and the magic behind creating iconic brews!

Des de Moor, a celebrated author and beer expert, discusses the distinctive qualities of cask beer and its recent decline in sales across the UK. The talk highlights the cultural significance of cask beer and the urgent need for revitalization. Joining him are industry pros like Alice Batham and Rob Lovatt, who share insights on quality management and the evolving landscape of cask beer in Belgium. The panel also dives into the revival of mild beer and the critical role of passionate pub owners in enhancing the cask beer experience.

Verity Phillips, Media Lead at Asahi UK, shares insights on marketing their beers and creating new fans. She discusses the launch of Peroni Stile Capri and how Asahi UK used media to target 18-34 lager drinkers. Topics include reaching younger consumers through innovative media opportunities, out-of-home advertising, and successful advertising strategies.

In 2002 Emma Reynolds met Ken Yamada and became great friends over their shared love of travelling and food, more specifically Japanese food and in particular ramen. Over the years, they realised it was very difficult to find decent ramen in London, so they began on a mission to sort that out themselves… They started out in 2011 with a Saturday night pop-up in the city. 30 people came through the doors at the very first pop-up, but just ten weeks later they had 120, with tickets selling out within minutes. Friday nights were spent prepping – bubbling broth for hours (with condensation running down the windows of Emma’s flat) making chashu and gyoza fillings, whilst drinking a couple of beers and talking about opening their first ramen restaurant. Then they’d be up at 6am on the Saturday to move all the ingredients to the pop-up restaurant, handmake 400 gyozas and get ready for the first sitting, with their adrenaline pumping. Ken and Emma made a different ramen every week, each from a different region of Japan. People loved it, and they knew they were onto something, which gave them the confidence to go and find a location for our first restaurant – and in 2012 Tonkotsu Soho was born. Now, in 2023, Tonkotsu has since grown to 17 restaurants – 15 in London, with Brighton and Birmingham also – and 280 staff over the last 11 years. And last month Emma took some time out from her busy schedule to deliver the keynote at our flagship Brewers Congress event. Here she reiterated the importance of people in your business, the tough decisions you often have to make and why Ramen is always a good idea.

At a time when many breweries are celebrating their tenth anniversaries Hackney Brewery, now the ripe old age of 12, could be considered elder statesmen of the London brewing community. Much has predictably changed in those years the brewery, founded by Jon Swain and Pete Hills, have been in business. Especially more recently, with the team celebrating two years at their new home in High Hill, Walthamstow. Part of the burgeoning and brilliant Blackhorse Beer Mile, Hackney Brewery is thriving thanks in no small part to their excellent taproom space that welcomes visitors four days a week. The High Hill Taproom is their new facility where the team aim to create a experience that you can immerse yourself in through their art, latest releases, beers from their friends around the world and events to celebrate the multicultural capital it calls home. In this podcast, we speak to co-founder Jon about the importance of the taproom in the brewery’s business proposition, Hackney’s role in the Blackhorse Beer Mile, those early days building the business with colleague Pete and also the secrets behind the team’s successful and sessionable sour range – namely the delicious Millions of Peaches.

As the dust settles on our recent Brewers Congress in London, we are already busy laying the foundations for next year’s event. Colin Stronge, a brewing industry pioneer, was due to close last month’s Congress. Sadly a recent operation meant he was unable to make it but health comes first and we, of course, very much look forward to welcoming him back at future events. Get well soon, Colin! So in lieu of real life Colin, we have the next best thing. A talk he expertly delivered at our Brewers Lectures in Springwell, Leeds. In this podcast, the head brewer of Salt Beer Factory, looked back at 23 years in beer. In doing so, he tracked his career alongside how the industry has evolved in that time, with the breweries, brewers and beer styles he has encountered along the way…

Gary Robson is CEO & Founder of Sure Purity, an award winning manufacturer of advanced filtration systems for the beverage industry, we are trusted by the most well-known beverage brand owners and sold in over 100 countries worldwide. He’s also the former president of International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT), board member and founder member of the Beverage Gases Technical Committee. So with more than 25 years’ experience in the beverage gases industry with expertise in carbon dioxide for beverage applications, we invited him to speak at our recent Brewers Lectures in Newcastle to share his views on the current state of play in the CO₂ supply chain, new sources and proven solutions. You can access Gary’s presentation right here. The figures presented were correct at the time (August 2023).

To many, John Keeling surely needs no introduction. But for those unaware, John is the former brewing director of Chiswick, London-based Fuller’s. Regarded and respected the world over for his ability to create and brew beers defined by balance and flavour, John is using his retirement to collaborate, consult and create with breweries across the globe. In this episode, we speak to John about his early career, what got him into beer and also brewing as a profession. We discuss his move to Fuller’s and what he learned from colleagues over the years such as Reg Drury, Derek Prentice and Georgina Young.  We ask him what he makes of the current brewing landscape and the challenges facing it, along with the advice he has for people working in and running breweries today. We discuss his love of music and also the beer industry, both in the UK and overseas, and how that can sometimes influence his travels with wife Symone.