A podcast exploring independent brewing stories

In this episode I’m joined by Natalya Watson to talk about beer education, tasting and judging. Nat is an Advanced Cicerone, Beer Sommelier and WSET educator, as well as an experienced beer judge. Learning about beer What do you actually learn when you study beer? We talk about WSET and how a more structured approach to tasting can change the way you experience what’s in your glass. How to taste beer Nat explains some of the biggest mistakes people make when tasting

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 B

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: h

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