The Beer Rep Chats With

The Beer Rep Chats With is your front-row seat to the UK’s independent beer scene. Join host Martin as he sits down with brewery founders and industry insiders to uncover the stories behind the pints, from recipe innovation and branding, access to market struggles, and community impact. Expect honest conversations, brewing insights, and a few laughs along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Beer Rep Chats With is a arts podcast hosted by Martin Avis, with 41 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Martin Avis hosts The Beer Rep Chats With, a arts show with 41 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #36

  From a Pub to Award Winning Independent Beer

  Sep 20, 202644 min

  Dean Baker, co-founder of Baker's Dozen Brewery, joins Martin to talk about the journey from running a pub to building a small independent brewery with his wife Jill. Founded in 2015, Baker's Dozen is a five-barrel brewery where Dean and Jill do everything themselves, from brewing and cleaning to deliveries, sales and marketing. We chat about how the brewery started, the influence of Oakham and Brewster's, and why focusing on brewing consistently good beer has always been at the heart of Baker's Dozen. Dean talks about some of the brewery's best-known beers, including Electric Landlady and award-winning Undertow, made with Citra and Nelson Sauvin. We also discuss SIBA awards, BeerX, why the brewery decided to focus on its core range, and how Dean's taste in beer has changed over the years. The conversation also moves into some of the bigger challenges facing small independent breweries, including rising costs, quieter pubs and access to market. Having previously run a tied pub, Dean shares his experience of the tied pub system and the difficulties independent breweries face when trying to get their beer into more pubs. And finally, Dean explains his love of the long-gone Carling Premier, talks about a previous Nitro IPA collaboration and why he thinks we should see more Nitro Lagers, Nitro IPAs and other nitro beers. Could a Baker's Dozen Nitro Lager be on the way? Shop Baker's Dozen Beer https://www.bakersdozenbrewing.co.uk/ Baker's Dozen Socials Insta: https://www.instagram.com/bakersdozenbrewing/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bakersdozenbrewing TIMESTAMP 00:00 - 03:25 Meet Dean Baker and Baker's Dozen Brewery 03:26 - 04:53 From home brewing to starting a brewery 04:54 - 05:40 Brewing good beer without reinventing the wheel 05:41 - 08:49 Leaving the pub behind and focusing on the brewery 08:50 - 09:54 Oakham, Brewster's and the influence of hop-forward beer 09:55 - 12:07 Electric Landlady and Dean's favourite hop 12:08 - 14:18 How Dean's taste in beer has changed 14:19 - 16:26 SIBA awards, BeerX and the importance of recognition 16:27 - 21:05 The story behind Undertow 21:06 - 23:59 Building a strong core beer range 24:00 - 30:40 The challenges facing small independent breweries 30:41 - 36:39 Cider collaborations, taprooms and the future of Baker's Dozen 36:40 - Quick fire: favourite beers, nitro lager and future collaborations See more at beerrepchats.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #35

  How Tap Social Movement Is Changing Lives Through Beer

  Sep 6, 202641 min

  In this episode Martin speaks to Ben Addison, Head Brewer at Tap Social Movement in Oxford, about brewing beer with a purpose. Ben shares his journey into brewing, from starting at Purity Brewing and working on large automated brewery systems to joining Tap Social and developing his skills on a hands-on manual brew kit. He also explains how hop dipping works and how the technique can create smoother, more rounded hop aromas. The conversation explores what defines a Tap Social beer: high quality, experimental when appropriate, but ultimately welcoming and accessible to as many drinkers as possible. Ben discusses the brewery’s growth, supplying supermarkets such as Waitrose, increasing can production and the challenges of consistency, shelf life and cold storage. At the heart of the episode is Tap Social Movement’s social enterprise mission. Ben explains how the brewery provides paid employment, training and progression opportunities for people who have been through, or are currently going through, the prison system. He shares how people can build confidence, learn new skills and move into brewing, sales, hospitality or their own business ventures. Tap Social Links Website: https://www.tapsocialmovement.com/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/tapsocialmovement/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tapsocialmovement CHAPTERS 00:00 - 02:42 Introduction: Meet Ben Addison, Head Brewer at Tap Social Movement 02:43 - 04:37 How Ben first got into brewing 04:38 - 07:38 Discovering hop dipping and how the process works 07:39 - 09:49 Why Ben joined Tap Social Movement 09:50 - 12:32 What defines a Tap Social beer? 12:33 - 16:00 How brewing on a manual system changed Ben’s approach 16:01 - 19:26 Supplying Waitrose and scaling up can production 19:27 - 22:16 Supermarket beer: consistency, shelf life and cold storage 22:17 - 26:09 How Tap Social Movement’s social enterprise mission works 26:10 - 29:28 Building confidence and careers through employment 29:29 - 33:47 How buying Tap Social beer supports people rebuilding their lives 33:48 - 36:35 Why brewing is about more than making beer 36:36 Why people should visit Tap Social Movement Check out all episodes https://www.beerrepchats.com/ See more at beerrepchats.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #34

  John Gyngell on North Bar, North Brewing & UK Craft Beer

  Aug 23, 202654 min

  What does it really take to build a successful independent bar and brewery in the UK? In this episode I sat down with John Gyngell, the founder of North Bar in Leeds, to talk about almost 30 years in hospitality, beer and the independent brewing industry. John opened North Bar at just 24 years old, initially with no grand plan to create a craft beer institution. Leeds simply lacked the kind of independent bar culture he had experienced in Manchester. From those beginnings, North Bar gradually became known for great hospitality, better beer and introducing drinkers to products they might never have encountered before. We talk about how North Bar discovered beers from Belgium, Germany and the United States, becoming an early champion of beers such as Brooklyn Lager, Duvel and Erdinger, and how that experience eventually helped lead to the creation of North Brewing Co. John also talks openly about the brewery's rapid growth, the success of beers such as Transmission, expanding into a much larger brewery, selling beer around the world and getting North Brewing into UK supermarkets. But the conversation also explores the much harder side of running a brewery. John explains what happened when COVID hit during the move to North Brewing's larger Springwell brewery, the financial pressures that followed, rising costs, COVID loans and the eventual decision to enter administration. He discusses the deal with Kirkstall Brewery, why he believes the decision was made in good faith to protect the brand and team, and what happened after he left. We also discuss what brewery founders can learn from those experiences, why having enough financial backing matters, the dangers of chasing growth too quickly, rebranding too often and following every new beer trend. John shares his thoughts on whether craft beer really is dying, why beer trends are cyclical, how the quality of beer has changed and why independent beer still has a future. We finish by talking about Hexagon Strategy , John's new venture helping breweries and hospitality businesses make better decisions using the experience he has gained from founding, scaling and running businesses in the industry. And perhaps most importantly, John explains why great pubs and bars matter far beyond selling beer, describing them as part of the social glue of a community. If you're interested in the history of UK craft beer, independent breweries, hospitality, brewery business advice or the real challenges of growing a beer business, there's plenty to take from this conversation. North Bars Venues https://northbar.com/venues CHAPTERS 00:40 - 03:52 Starting North Bar at 24: John Gyngell's Journey Begins 03:53 - 08:04 Why Leeds Needed Something Different 08:05 - 13:07 Changing the Beer Line-Up and Introducing Customers to Craft Beer 13:08 - 15:15 Why North Bar Started North Brewing 15:16 - 20:06 The Birth of Transmission and North Brewing's Early Success 20:07 - 22:23 The Springwell Expansion, COVID and a Leap Too Far 22:24 - 27:34 North Brewing, Administration and the Kirkstall Deal 27:35 - 30:06 What Really Happens When a Brewery Goes Into Administration 30:07 - 32:18 Lessons for Brewery Founders: Money, Growth and Getting Help 32:19 - 36:51 Why Great Pubs and Bars Matter to Communities 36:52 - 41:15 Is Craft Beer Dying? John Gyngell on Trends and the Future 41:16 - 46:42 Hexagon Strategy, Brewery Advice and the Future of Independent Beer 46:43 - Quickfire Questions and Wrap Up See more at beerrepchats.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #33

  Burton Roots, Cornish Beer and the Rise of Bluntrock

  Aug 9, 202648 min

  What does it take to build an independent brewery from the ground up? In this episode of The Beer Rep Chats With, Martin sits down with George Parker Collins, co-founder and head brewer of Bluntrock Brewery in Rock, North Cornwall, to hear the story behind one of Cornwall's most distinctive independent breweries. George grew up in Burton upon Trent, surrounded by brewing. His parents met while working at Allied Breweries, and his childhood was spent around Tower Brewery, giving him an early connection to brewing before he even realised it. At 18, he moved into the brewing industry and began his career at Sharp's Brewery, gaining experience of the standards, systems and discipline of a large-scale brewery. He then moved to Padstow Brewing, where he went from working within a large brewing team to effectively running the brewing operation himself. It was at Padstow that George began experimenting with modern hoppy beers, one-off releases and canned beer, discovering the ingredients and techniques that would eventually influence Bluntrock's brewing philosophy. George explains how the idea for Bluntrock started with a simple ambition to build a brewpub in Rock and Polzeath where beer could be brewed and sold directly at the source. That dream eventually became reality through four shipping containers, a tiny 150-litre brew kit and plenty of DIY work during the pandemic. The story didn't stop there. After demand quickly outgrew the original brewery, George and business partner Hugo took an unexpected gamble at the auction of Boxcar Brewery's equipment. They won the bid and suddenly found themselves owning a much larger brewery, despite having nowhere to put it. George talks openly about the challenges of scaling Bluntrock, moving into the new brewery in 2023, dealing with second-hand equipment, building a team of almost 30 people and expanding to three taprooms. We also get into Bluntrock's beers and brewing philosophy, including Pagan Juice, the beer inspired by George's Cornish cookouts, the distinctive Bluntrock artwork and the story behind the brewery's "bucket head" characters. George also discusses one of the most fascinating projects in the brewery's history: Ambassador, a Burton-inspired best bitter that led to an 18-month research project involving historic bottles of Bass, Allsopp and other Burton beers and an attempt to recover historic brewing yeast. The conversation also explores the challenges facing independent breweries in Cornwall, including tied pubs, limited freehouses, seasonality and the difficulty of getting beer into the local market. Bluntrock Socials: Shop - https://www.bluntrockbrewery.co.uk/pages/shop Insta - https://www.instagram.com/bluntrockbrewery/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bluntrockbrewery/ CHAPTERS 00:41 - 03:09 Growing Up in Burton and Discovering Brewing 03:10 - 05:16 Starting at Sharp's Brewery and Learning the Fundamentals 05:17 - 10:45 Padstow Brewing and Discovering Modern Hoppy Beer 10:46 - 13:49 The Dream of Starting Bluntrock Brewery 13:50 - 20:10 From a 150 Litre Brew Kit to Four Shipping Containers 20:11 - 26:29 Buying the Boxcar Brewery Equipment at Auction 26:30 - 29:21 Pagan Juice, Bluntrock's Brand and the Bucket Heads 29:22 - 33:34 Brewing in Cornwall and the Battle for Market Access 33:35 - 43:32 Recreating Burton Beer: The Story Behind Ambassador 43:33 - Dream Collaborations and Final Thoughts See more at beerrepchats.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #32

  Inside Anspach & Hobday: The Rise of London Black

  Jul 19, 202653 min

  In this episode of Beer Rep Chats , I'm joined by Jack Hobday, co-founder of Anspach & Hobday , for an in-depth conversation about the remarkable rise of London Black, one of the UK's most talked-about nitro porters. Jack shares the story of how two friends turned a homebrewing hobby into one of London's most respected independent breweries, the inspiration behind London Black, and why it has become a favourite among craft beer drinkers across the UK. We discuss how nitro beer works, the influence of Guinness, the evolution of the craft beer industry, cask vs keg, New England IPAs, beer marketing, AI, and the challenges facing independent breweries and pubs today. Whether you're a fan of craft beer, brewing, hospitality, or simply enjoy hearing the stories behind great breweries, this episode is packed with insight, humour and honest conversation. Check out all episodes at https://www.beerrepchats.com/ Anspach & Hobday links : Website - https://www.anspachandhobday.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Anspachandhobday/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anspachhobday/ Powered by  The Keg Warehouse CHAPTERS 00:00 - 00:50 Introduction – Meet Jack Hobday of Anspach & Hobday 00:51 - 02:40 The Story Behind Anspach & Hobday & London Black 02:41 - 07:28 What Is a Nitro Porter? How London Black Is Made 07:29 - 13:43 The Evolution of Craft Beer & The Rise of New England IPA 13:44 - 19:13 Building a Brewery Team Behind London Black 19:14 - 26:32 How London Black Took on Guinness 26:33 - 33:14 The Beers Beyond London Black 33:15 - 42:06 The Future of Independent Brewing & British Pubs 42:07 - 43:31 What's Next for Anspach & Hobday? 43:32 - 47:21 Quick Fire: Favourite Beer, Cask vs Keg & British Hops 47:22 - 51:22 AI in Beer Marketing – Opportunity or Threat? 51:23 Why Every Beer Lover Should Visit Anspach & Hobday See more at beerrepchats.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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