Brewers Journal Podcast

By: Reby Media
  • Summary

  • The brewers industry podcast from the Brewers Journal and the Brewers Lectures
    Reby Media
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Episodes
  • #154 | 40 years young – Wye Valley Brewery
    Nov 22 2024
    Reaching an important milestone in any business is a real achievement. It’s the culmination of hard work, commitment and the result of providing a quality product or service. Probably both.... And in 2025, today’s guests will toast their 40th year in the world of beer. And as we all know, that simply doesn’t happen by accident.Since starting out in 1985, Herefordshire-based Wye Valley Brewery has been producing a wealth of excellent cask, keg and small pack beers. They’ve earned a reputation for consistency and product quality, seeing their beers served in more than 1,200 pubs and bars throughout the West Midlands and South Wales.As a result, they’ve gone from a humble beginning of producing approximately 10 brewers' barrels a week to an average of 1000 barrels per week, with further growth to come.Rewind back and the brewery’s story started nearly 40 years ago. After brewing for years for Guinness, Wye Valley Brewery founder, Peter Amor decided to branch out on his own. He began brewing from the back of a pub in Canon Pyon in Herefordshire but soon moved to the old stable block of The Barrels in Hereford - Wye Valley Brewery’s very first pub.After studying at Young’s brewery in London, Peter’s son, Vernon Amor, joined the brewery to help with the demands of the growing business. And some 17 years later, the business would signal its latest growth by moving into a 9-acre former cider mill in Stoke Lacy.But the journey doesn’t stop there - far from it. Ongoing expansion has included the installation of an impressive bottling and canning setup from Bedford-based Enterprise Tondelli, as well as investment in its warehousing and solar PV infrastructure, with a new brewhouse part of the brewery’s future, too.While beers such as it’s super successful Nightjar, a kegged stout based on an original Wye Valley Brewery cask recipe, have helped put the brewery in front of eager new audiences.In this episode of The Brewers Journal Podcast, we spoke with head of sales and marketing Abbie Gadd and head brewer Gareth Batemen, to discover the secret of the brewery’s longevity, the importance of moving with the times and why its 40th year will be the start of a new period of growth and evolution for the much-loved business.
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    29 mins
  • #153 | A Love of Lager
    Nov 15 2024
    When it comes to the world of beer, Lager is big business. Recent research from Heineken in its 2024 Beer Report shows that Lager’s share of the on-trade market by value stands at 70%. In short, two out of every three pints poured in the UK is a Lager.And when we talk about Lager, there is really something for everyone. In the UK we’ve had a wealth of fantastic lager-focused breweries open in the last decade from Lost and Grounded to Utopian, Orbit, Braybrooke and beyond.And if you head to Walthamstow, East London, and you’ll not only find a range of fantastic pubs, bars and restaurants, but leading breweries, too.Established in 2016, Pillars Brewery started as a family business and remain a team of family and close friends, driven by a mutual love of Lager.Proud to combine contemporary brewing techniques with traditional brewing principles, their beers are created within a traditional Bavarian-style brewhouse, complete with its own lauter tun. They tailor the water profile for each brew using their onsite water treatment plant and complete the process with a minimum of four weeks of cold conditioning. And as 2024 draws to a close, the brewery has just released the latest iterations of its award-winning Icebock.It’s beer brewed at the beginning of the year and conditioned for nine whole months, using freeze-concentration to produce unparalleled, rich flavours.So with that in mind, we caught up with Pillars co-founder Gavin Litton and head of sales Peter Kennelly to discuss the opportunities and challenges that face a lager-focused brewery, their commitment to sustainability and why above all else, everything comes down to the quality of the liquid.
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    19 mins
  • #152 | How we launched a new cider business
    Nov 1 2024
    Launching a new business is always an exciting time. It’s also a challenging one, too. In our sector, you need a quality liquid, great branding and a team that knows the industry. Thankfully, with today's guests you have all of those and more.Earlier in the summer, the cider category welcomed one such new addition. Developed by a team with decades of experience in building successful beer and cider brands, Red Fin Cider is all about offering licensees a medium dry cider that can be stocked as an added value product, alongside existing offerings.The team is made up of the trio of Graeme Baldwin, David Tugwell and Freddie Rouse. Graeme was the first employee at Orchard Pig and heavily involved in the meteoric growth and eventual exit deal for the brand.David Tugwell has worked with huge growth challenger brands, including Estrella Damm and Orchard Pig cider, as well as in the craft beer sector, heading up the sales function at Big Smoke Brew Co and Double-Barrelled Brewery.The third founding partner, Freddie Rouse, has worked with several craft breweries establishing them throughout independent pubs and groups across the UK and most recently at Amathus Drinks, helping grow its agency list with other UK Wholesalers. And after a successful whirlwind few months, Red Fin has just announced a new initiative with Berkshire-based Siren Craft Brew enabling it to service pubs and venues in Berkshire, Brighton and London.So what better time to catch-up with Red Fin co-founder Dave Tugwell to talk through the company’s journey so far. We also discuss the trio launching into a competitive category, its place in the wider world of craft beer and its commitment to showing consumers that cider can, and should be, fun.
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    33 mins

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