Hop Forward: Getting You Ahead in the Brewing and Beer Business

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...!  Craft beer is on the rise, queues of beer nerds are lining up for the latest Imperial Stouts and a brave alliance of brewers has formed to bring down the Galactic Empire known as 'Big Beer'. In this last instalment of the Hop Forward Podcast, we sit down opposite Damian Doherty from Emperor's Brewery in The Fat Jedi (aka Damian's truly intergalactic b...

On the Hop Forward Podcast this week, we head to Wellington, New Zealand, by the magic of the internet to sit down digitally with Pete Gillespie, co-founder of Garage Project , for a deep dive into one of the most unusual hop-forward beers you’re likely to come across: Sludgefest — a Radical Recycled Hop IPA brewed using reused dry-hop slurry. We discuss this unusual beer, how it tastes and the ap...

Established in 2011 by General Manager and Brewster Claire Monk, Welbeck Abbey Brewery is situated on the Welbeck Abbey Estate .  Founded as a Premonstratensian monastery in 1153, after the Dissolution, the Abbey was bought by Bess of Hardwick's youngest son, Sir Charles Cavendish. As with many country estates, over time, the house and grounds have become a popular tourist attraction, pulling in c...

How many grams per litre of dry-hopping creates those big juice DIPA flavours?  What cereal should we use to create a self-stable haze?  What are the correct additives and E-numbers that will give us the right hue to our teal coloured slush-puppy sour...?  These questions are great but unless we dig deeper to unearth how we can grow our raw ingredients in unfavourable conditions, then perhaps synt...

In this episode, Nick sits down with Dean & Jill Baker, the husband-and-wife team behind Bakers Dozen Brewing .  Based in Rutland, the smallest county in the UK, the Bakers have built a lifestyle business from scratch — just the two of them — while balancing the headaches of running a brewery while keeping their relationship sweet. Once landlords of The Jolly Brewer in Stamford, the Bakers sha...

On the podcast this week, Nick takes us on a roving audio tour of SIBA Beer X —the UK’s largest brewing trade show—capturing raw, on-the-ground insights straight from the tradeshow floor. Armed with a microphone and plenty of curiosity, Nick chats with a cross-section of UK brewery owners, brewers, and industry folks to ask two simple but telling questions: Where are the biggest opportunities in b...

On the podcast this week, Nick is joined by Craig Thomas, National Account Manager at Abstrax , to take a deep dive into the science, story, and serious hop chemistry behind their innovative hop products—used by some of the most respected brewers in the industry. Craig shares insights into how Abstrax uses cutting-edge technology to isolate and recreate the essential oils and aroma compounds that...

On the podcast this week, Nick is joined by Tim Bloomer, co-founder and Sustainability Director for Fell Brewery .  Based in Cumbria, one of the UK's most scenic areas, having a brewery that is friendly to the environment is a top priority for this growing brewery.  So much so, in 2024, Fell performed a full, all scope carbon footprint analysis of our beer with their friends at Small World Consult...

I've stayed in craft beer for over a decade not just for the love of the liquid, but for the friendships. The relationships I've built are what keep me here, the camaraderie amongst brewers and beer professionals.  You don’t stick with a job that leaves you soaked in yeast and wrestling with broken equipment unless you’re surrounded by others who have been in the trenches with you.  There's nothin...

This week on the Hop Forward Podcast, we're joined by journalist and Beer Writer of the Year 2023, David Jesudason.  We discuss diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within hospitality and the brewing sector, exploring themes of code-switching, how we should strive to make meaningful changes to our businesses rather than just raise awareness about DEI, and talk about David's journalism and writing...

Hopefully, by the end of this episode, we'll have answered the question why Dave Hayward, co-founder of A Hoppy Place and Indie Rabble Brewing Co , is selling a shit load of hazies... but even if we don't, we're sure you'll be thoroughly entertained by our musings on the way! Recorded on location at Sheffield's Indie Beer Feast , Nick is joined by Dave Hayward from Windsor's Indie Rabble to discus...

I'm sure you'll forgive the clickbaity title but it's a question I've been asking for the last 10 years.  Most brewery businesses start by obtaining a premises, purchasing equipment, commissioning a brewhouse and getting to work making beer.  However, what happens to those of us out there who don't have access to the kinds of capital required to open their own brewhouse and taproom but still have...

This week on the Hop Forward Podcast, we're diving into one of the most fascinating corners of brewing: blending and wild beers with Dan Wye who oversees Origins , the wild and spontaneous fermentation arm of Fyne Ales .   From wild yeast and spontaneous fermentation to barrels, foraging, and time-honoured techniques, this episode is all about the magic that happens when nature takes the lead in b...

Nick Smith from Steam Machine Brewing Company joins us on the Hop Forward Podcast this week to discuss their unique subscription service, The Fellowship of the Beer.  The Fellowship of Beer is an extension of Steam Machine Brewing Company’s mission to showcase just how vastly different every pint of beer can be. Founded in 2015 by husband and wife Nick & Gulen Smith, this North East brewery ha...

When Buxton Brewery announced it had gone into administration, shockwaves could be felt across the craft beer community. As a pillar of the UK craft beer scene since 2009, setting benchmarks for quality and innovation with beers like Axe Edge, it was unthinkable that a brewery with such a solid reputation could be amongst the casualties of the current economic climate. However, no business is immu...

Is regenerative Barley really the future of sustainable malt, or has its benefit been over-hyped?  In this week's episode, Nick hosts a panel debate to hash it out with experts in the field whether this and other low-impact ingredients are the future of sustainable brewing. Recorded at SIBA Beer X in March 2024, Nick is joined by Greg Piley from Stroud Brewery and Ben Richardson, CEO and co-founde...

Liverpool has long been a musical powerhouse. From Echo and the Bunnymen and Frankie Goes to Hollywood to its most famous sons, The Beatles, the City of Pop has shaped global culture. But Liverpool is far more than music and mop-tops. Home to two iconic football teams, Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C., the city is also a gem for beer and food tourism. The Grapes pub offers cosy vibes and well-kept...

Stay tuned for new episodes of the Hop Forward Podcast coming this December!  In the meantime, Nick gives us the lowdown on what's been happening over the past year since the podcast has been in the fridge/on chill/conditioning/lagering {insert your beer metaphor here}. Follow Hop Forward : hopforward.beer | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

This episode marks a turning point for the Hop Forward Podcast as it will be the last episode of the show before we go on hiatus (or a 'hop rest' as we prefer to call it) for a while.  In this episode, Nick shares his reasons why he's taking some time away from the show. Following this introspection, he dives into a compelling beer conversation with Cameron Brown, the co-founder of Turning Point B...

On the podcast this week, Nick is joined by Chris Terry from 86 Carbon to talk about the impacts of climate change on the brewing and hospitality industry and explore ways to make your business more sustainable and eco-friendly. 86 Carbon specialise in Accredited Carbon Literacy training, which leads to an understanding of how climate change will affect individuals and the industry around them.  T...

Without marketing you may have a flagship beer that no one will ever taste.  Marketing is one the most important aspects of your business that often gets overlooked or is grossly misunderstood as merely posting a few images to social media and watching the sales come flooding in. But in a crowded beer market, how should we be marketing our breweries, bars, bottle shops and brands?  What can we do...

On this episode of the Hop Forward Podcast, we delve into the often-overlooked art of selling craft beer.  While we've covered a wide range of brewing topics in the past, it's time to explore the other crucial half of the beer industry: sales. We examine the challenges of selling beer and the importance of building trust and relationships with customers.  Featuring the insights of Darren Filsell a...

On the Hop Forward Podcast this week, we take a trip to Gritchie Brewing Company : a 'beer farm' located on the Ashcombe Estate near Shaftesbury, owned by acclaimed screenwriter, producer and director Guy Ritchie. Drawing from the land that surrounds the farm, their 20BBL brewhouse sits within rustic stone-built barns, overlooking expansive fields where their own Maris Otter barley is grown for ma...

On the podcast this week, we're joined by Andy from Ampersand Brew Co , based in Diss, Norfolk (UK).  Started by a family team of Amy, Andy & Adrian Hipwell in a converted barn on the family farm, the team have now expanded and moved to our current site in Diss.  Their bespoke brewhouse, designed and fabricated to their own unique set up and specification was specifically designed to optimise...

On the Hop Forward Podcast this week, Nick & Sean share their Fermenting Thoughts on all things packaging and sustainability.  We discuss everything from the logistics of kegs, supporting venues, the value of cask beer and how simple design elements, such as texture on a label or point-of-sale material - when done properly - can make the difference. THE HOP FORWARD PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY CHAR...