It's an exciting time to be brewing, selling and drinking beer. Craft beers have become the runaway success story of UK publand – over a quarter of pubs now serve cask ales and independent ales are the fastest-growing drinks market in the country. If you'd like to join the microbrewing revolution, this comprehensive one-day primer is a must.
This intensive seminar features an enviable panel of brewing experts, including Cask Report creator Pete Brown, Duncan Sambrook of the acclaimed Sambrook's Brewery, cuckoo brewing pioneer Gazza Prescott, brewer and SIBA board member Buster Grant and Waen Brewery head brewster Sue Hayward.
The event begins with an overview of the craft brewing scene, including the opportunities that currently exist within it, and the lessons you can learn from those who've already been successful. Over the course of the day, you'll discover expert insider tips on how to design and create a new beer, and how to make it stand out from the crowd – essential in a market where quality remains the biggest driver of sales. You'll also explore international brewing trends, the finer points of sourcing ingredients, and the commercial essentials of brewing, so you can stop stressing about finances and start concentrating on the fun stuff.
This course is for you if...
- You already brew your own craft ales and want to scale up your operation
- You're a big fan of craft beer and want to get involved in the industry yourself
- You're a microbrew drinker and want to know more about what makes them special
Course description
This large-scale seminar features a panel of expert speakers from all aspects the craft brewing industry, providing a comprehensive overview of the creative, technical and business elements of establishing a microbrewery. Topics covered on the day include:
- The craft beer revolution, what craft beer is, and why this is such an exciting time for microbreweries
- How to make your brewery stand out from the crowd
- How to design and produce new beers
- Creating recipes: spotting market trend, and developing your own new ideas
- How to choose and source hops and malt
- Brewery finances: the cost of brewing your first pint
This Masterclass is run in partnership with the Beacon Biorefinery project, an innovative research project developing new chemicals and materials from plants, and new fermentation techniques to create renewable energy sources and products. Beacon is supported by the European Regional Development Fund via the Wales European Funding Office and Welsh Government. Find out more here.
Tutor profile
Pete Brown is a British writer who specialises in making people thirsty. He is the author of five-and-a-half books as well as the annual Cask Report, and numerous articles in the drinks trade press and consumer press. He appears regularly on TV and radio, and is a judge on the BBC Food and Farming Awards, and the Great Taste Awards. He was named Beer Writer of the Year in 2009 and 2012. After looking for a book that explained the British love for beer but not being able to find it, in 2003, Pete wrote Man Walks Into A Pub: A Sociable History of Beer. It sold so well that it was nearly turned into a BBC TV series, but was pipped at the final commissioning meeting by a series about mountains.
Duncan Sambrook founded Sambrook's brewery in 2008, after going to the Great British Beer Festival and being shocked to find that only one London brewery was represented. Sambrook's started out with one beer, Wandle Ale, named after the river which runs beside the 20-barrel brewery in Battersea. Before starting the brewery with the former managing director of Ringwood Brewery, David Welsh, and two university friends, Duncan was an accountant working in the City. He finished his career with Deloitte in August 2008, and proudly sampled Sambrook's first beer in November of that year. Today, the brewery creates their best bitter, Wandle, alongside a premium ale, Junction, and a selection of seasonal ales.
Gazza Prescott is well known in the UK and European beer scene for his forthright views on hops and crystal malt and much more besides. Gazza was, with Dave Szwejkowski, one of the pioneers of the "Cuckoo" brewing revolution in the UK where a company rents space on a host brewery rather than investing in their own setup, although he is now a partner in a brewery in South Wales which he runs full-time. Gazza has friends throughout Europe and has recently brewed collaboration beers with Toccalmatto in Modena, Italy, and Marina in Barcelona, Cataluña. He has travelled extensively around the UK and world in search of good beer to drink and emulate as an excuse to travel and drink lots of beer; it's a hard life.
Buster Grant is one of Wales's best-known brewers, and founded his brewery, Brecon Brewing, in 2011. Buster is also the chairman of Drinks Wales, a new association supporting work to promote the Welsh drinks industry, and is the Welsh director for SIBA; the Society for Independent Brewers. Before establishing Brecon Brewing, Buster worked at Brakspear's in Henley-on-Thames, after graduating with an MSc in Brewing and Distilling.
Sue Hayward started the Waen Brewery in 2009. In 2012 the brewery capacity was increased and the plant relocated to its new home in Llanidloes. Every year since 2009 Sue has won SIBA awards for her beers, including Champion Strong Bitter for Landmark, Sue's first ever commercially brewed beer. The famous Chilli Plum Porter has won numerous SIBA and CAMRA awards, and was also voted by online beer group Beer Bods as beer of the year 2013.
Book now
Registration is £99 for this whole day event including refreshments, buffet lunch and parking at the Liberty Stadium. For companies in the Convergence area of South and West Wales a waiver can be applied for – please register your interest online and enter the code MICRO on the payment page which will temporarily clear any fees. The event organisers will contact you to confirm if you are eligible for the waiver. Please note, the waiver of registration is limited to one per company.
Please click here to book
Details
Date: Friday 3 October 2014
Times: 9am–6pm
Location: Liberty Stadium, Swansea SA1 2FA
Price: £99 (VAT exempt. Includes refreshments, buffet lunch and parking)
Event capacity: 100
To contact us, click here. Terms and conditions can be found here.
Returns policy
Tickets may be refunded if you contact us at least 7 days before the course start date. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.
