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 nothing quite like trading stories and the mini-dramas over a good, solid pint with your newfound friends at a beer festival or down the local. And when you both wax lyrical about the beer you’re sharing, it’s pure magic.
Sometimes, on the Hop Forward Podcast, the focus and emphasis is on a particular subject. Over the seven years of airing this show, we’ve covered a vast array of topics – sustainability, financing, business development, wild yeasts, blending to name a few – and yet some of my favourite episodes are the ones that simply just happened. Discussions that ran away with themselves; recordings that sound like you’re eavesdropping on a fascinating conversation in the pub.
Mostly, the focus of the show is on a particular topic—sustainability, finance, wild yeasts, business strategy, blending, and so on. But honestly, some of my favourite episodes are the ones that just happen. Conversations that meander like a pub chat, full of insight and warmth, where you’re almost eavesdropping on two people geeking out over beer, life and their mutual appreciation of Tommy Barnes’ A Beer in the Loire.
This week’s episode is one of those.
I’m joined by the brilliant Kate Hyde, Head Brewer and Product Director at Hand Brew Co., a 25HL brewery based in Worthing. After working in publishing and fashion, Kate moved to France, discovered brewing, and eventually brought her skills back to the UK, joining Hand Brew Co.
We cover everything from her role at the brewery and its original tower system, to cask beer, the beautiful artwork and artists that Hand Brew Co showcases, and the everyday joys and challenges of brewing professionally.
I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed recording it.
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