Nant Fawr Brews

Have you heard the story of The Union Sets? If not... grab a beer, find a comfy spot and listen as my guest - beer writer Laura Hadland - tells this incredible tale. She's right at the heart of the story herself and even had a pint of the last ever Martson's Pedigree batch brewed on them. As well as the Union Sets, in this episode we talk sustainable breweries, the saga of The Crooked Hous...

Beer writer Adrian Tierney-Jones talks everything from how pubs change through the seasons, to why pubs need to be more welcoming to everyone, to the joys of drinking (and writing) alone... plus the ultimate European beer tour itinerary. This a lovely warm meandering chat, which perfectly matches the unique charm of Adrian's new book 'A Pub For All Seasons' which is out now. Find it in...

Porter is a fantastic beer style. Dark, tasty... and never far away from a story (many of which may not be accurate!). Even the name itself - Porter - is often misunderstood (listen to the episode to understand why). Joining me on this episode is beer writer Martyn Cornell who has written many excellent books on beer, plus is the creative force behind the incredible Zythophile blog (where you will...

A concept episode. Can an interesting beer lead you to discover an interesting bit music you otherwise would not have found? What about the other way around? Former guest Ransom (a musician, author and podcaster) joins me to find out. This is Brews n Tunes #1 (yep, it worked so well, we're definitely doing it again at some point). Here's the concept. Ransom picks a bit of music to inspire me. I pi...

Jack Baber is a fellow Cardiff homebrewer and he helps run the long-established and highly regarded Rebel Homebrewers club in Cardiff which I myself am an occasional attendee of (not as much as I'd like, but hey, family diary clashes and all that). In this episode Jack kindly welcomes me into his incredible bar and brewery set up in his garage. We hear the secrets on how to make such a great s...

Did you know that the UK's biggest low and no alcohol brewer is based right here in South Wales? Drop Bear was formed just 5 years ago by two women in South Wales with a mission to put the craft into low and no alcohol brewing... and their success has been incredible. The beers are good. That's the starting point. But the business sense, the ambition, the upward trajectory, the commitment...

Batemans is the type of brewery that used to be common all throughout the UK. Now it's vanishingly rare. 150 years old. All that time brewing at the same site. All that time independent. All that time run by 5 generations of the same family. World wars. Covid. 1980's Dallas and Dynasty style internal family ownership wrangles. The fall of cask beer. The rise of industrial brewing. The rise...

Jon Saunders is a Cardiff legend for whom beer, booze and good times have delivered amazing highs and shocking lows in his life and career. An entrepreneurial hospitality expert in the first part of his career, he ran the legendary TigerTiger club in the Welsh capital before starting his own mini-empire of bars including 10 Mill Lane, Dead Canary and 29 Park Place. But, the empire didn't last,...

Have you ever been to a Desi pub? Do you even know what one is? I haven't and I didn't until I stumbled across David Jesudason's book on the subject. It was getting rave reviews and there seemed to be loads of people on social media having amazing experiences in these pubs with cold lagers, incredible Indian food and a warm welcome. So, I ordered the book, tried to track David down for...

Emmie Harrison-West is an award-winning beer writer with an ever more important voice within the industry. When she won a Guild Of Beer Writers Award last year she sent an X/tweet that went viral. In it she dedicated her award to all the people (mainly men) who had made her feel uncomfortable, unwelcome and threatened in beer spaces (think pubs, beer festivals etc) over the years. It hit a nerve,...

Pop n Hops is a Cardiff institution and the result of Trev McCabe's passion for beer and music. Six and a half years in, a lot has changed, but the dedication to serving superb beers in perfect condition... always remains. In this episode host Andy Taylor interviews Pop n Hops Founder Trev McCabe in the tap room. There's even some customers drinking in the background (they saw the lights o...

Pubs around the UK are closing at an alarming rate. In rural areas, when the pub goes, a key community hub and place of support and celebration disappears with it. Pubs can be the glue that keeps communities together. Is it possible to save a pub once it has gone? Yes, it is. But it requires the whole community to support and a few hardy souls to really roll their sleeves up. They need to take act...

What does it take to start a tap room and brewery that is loved by the local community but can also run as a sustainable business? Beer and brewing is a hobby for many, but taking it to the next level and making a living out of it is a big step. It's one that John Jackson did not take lightly. John's brewery and taproom - Wild Parrot Brewing Company in Pasadena, California, USA - took a wh...

Why do beer bottles and cans look the way they do? Do we choose beers only with our tastebuds... or are we more influenced by branding and marketing than we care to admit? Ben Dunning is Course Leader & Senior Lecturer BA(Hons) Graphic Design (Visual Communication and Illustration) at University of West London. So, when it comes to design he knows his stuff. He's also a good friend of mine...

Des de Moor knows his stuff. A hugely respected beer writer, critic and author, he has decided to write the book about Cask Beer that fills the gaps in all of our knowledge of this legendary ale style. Des's new book - 'Cask Beer: The Real Story of Britain's Unique Beer Culture' - is out today, August 1st 2023. What a brilliant excuse to talk all things Cask with such a global auth...

There's a contradiction at the heart of beer, drinking and pub culture. Sharing a drink with your mates, or even just with the people you only ever see down your local... is great for your mental health. Support, community, conversation and laughter are all good positive things. And yet... Alcohol is dangerous. Sadly it is that simple. It's too easy to drink to self-medicate or attempt to...

Steve Dunkley (aka Beer Nouveau) has done everything you can do in beer. From glass collector to cellarman, home brewer, commercial brewer, taproom owner, beer writer, critic and everything else in between. He is just a hugely respected grassroots beer expert... and I'm so grateful to have him as a guest on Nant Fawr Brews. We cover a lot in this episode. First up, #LabelsOff, which is Steve&#...

Do you dismiss no and low alcohol beer as something you'd only have as a last resort? This episode may convince you that it's time to change your mind... A recent concussion left me off the booze for a while (and also partly explains why there hasn't been an NFB episode in a few weeks). But in a way, I'm grateful. It made me look again at low and no alcohol beer... and that led me...

Simon Oakes is a Cardiff-based musician who, as well as having a bona-fide rock'n'roll pedigree (supporting Phil Collins at Hyde Park no less) is a Geography academic and author.  But more importantly than any of that, he has - in exchange for a batch of homebrew of his choice - composed the new theme tune for the Nant Fawr Brews podcast. In this episode we're treated to a live performance of...

I first became aware of Dog's Window thanks to beer writer Melissa Cole, who tweeted that it was producing some of best beer in South Wales. I contacted Lee the brewery owner (in fact the brewery everything ... he's a one-man-team) and he kindly agreed to a visit, tour and interview. This is the kind of episode I started this podcast to make. Visiting, talking to, spreading the word of and support...

Industrial breweries were very different places 45 years ago. Today's guest knows all about just how different because he spent the early part of his career working in one of London's most legendary ones... The Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, East London. David Cowan is retired now. I met him a few months back on a tour of Palmers Brewery in Dorset. We reminisce about that tour, then get cracking on...

Each year we see a whole load of Christmas and Winter themed beers hit the shelves in the beer aisles of the mainstream food stores... but how good are they? And which ones that are out this year are worth having in your holiday season stash? Friend of the show and fellow Cardiff beer-lover Tom Baker joins Andy to do a blind taste test on 5 beers that you can currently find in your local supermark...

It's a simple but brilliant idea - why not try to assemble a beer brewed in each of the 32 countries playing in the upcoming football World Cup? It's the kind of thing you wonder about doing with your mates down the pub... but Gus Hully has actually done it. He's become a beer celebrity, being interviewed on media outlets around the world. But now it's time for the big one... the Nant Fawr Brews p...

Ransom is my guest this week. Also known as The Revenant Alien (and he explains what he means by that in the episode). Ransom is a fellow podcaster and creative but worried he was not into beer enough to be on the pod. But, as you'll discover during this chat... a) Ransom has a lot more to say about beer than he thought and b) beer acts as a brilliant springboard into a whole world of other topics...

Founding a new microbrewery is a dream for many of us beer lovers... so what is it like to actually do it? Zac Fox, COO and Head Brewer of Bad Idea Brewing Co (one of the greatest names for a brewery ever in my opinion) gives a brilliantly honest, passionate and positive account of his experiences. This interview really gets across the special community atmosphere that exists within brewing. There...