When I first started with the company as Team Member with Brewhouse & Kitchen in Bournemouth, I never could have imagined that seven years later I would be a fully qualified Senior Brewer within the company.
It started as just a stopgap job before I found a ‘real’ job after uni, but having met and become friends with brewers within the company, I quickly realised it was a career path I wanted to pursue.
Within a few months of helping the brewer and learning all about brewing, I had been given the role of Apprentice Brewer in the first iteration of the apprenticeship which is now run by HIT Training and Nottingham University. We were labelled ‘Cohort 0’ as the program hadn’t been fully finalised yet by that point.
After around 6 months of training in Bournemouth, I interviewed for, and was offered the opportunity to be Head Brewer at our Bedford site. I then won my first brewing award within two months of moving up there.
Another milestone for me was being given my first apprentice to help train. Caitlin has since qualified from the apprenticeship with Distinction, which was a very proud moment for me, having had considerable input in her training and development.
In the few years since first moving up to Bedford, I was able to move back down to Bournemouth, and then across to my current home in Southbourne, where I’ve now been for around two years. I’ve also helped train multiple new brewers within the company, had two more apprentices become fully fledged brewers under my supervision, and I’m now helping my fourth apprentice on his journey.
I’ve also been promoted to Senior Brewer, which means I help oversee a total of seven Breweries in the company, including my own, which is a lot of responsibility, but one which I thoroughly enjoy and am proud of. Winning multiple more awards for my beers, including some international ones, has of course also been extremely gratifying.
During lockdown #1, I passed the General Certificate in Brewing, and last year I completed my own apprenticeship with HIT Training in Team Leadership which has helped me no end in terms
of personal development and in the job.
All this has come about despite never planning on becoming a brewer originally. I realised I had a passion for it having been around people in the industry and being given the opportunity to keep developing my own skills and earning qualifications, while doing a job I love. I also work alongside colleagues who are on their own journeys within the industry, with a mixture of Front of House and Chef apprentices working on my site, so there’s really something for everyone in hospitality, despite it often being looked down upon as not being a ‘real’ job.
I’m hoping to enrol on the next level of brewing qualifications in the next year or so, and hopefully continue to love what I do and win more awards along the way!
