Beer with Nat (Natalya Watson)

Today’s guest is Ree Scales, People and Development Manager for Mother Kelly’s, an independent group of pubs, bars, and bottle shops based here in London.

Back in 2015, Ree and I used to work together behind the bar at Mother Kelly’s in Bethnal Green, an East London beer institution. She started there in April that year, just a year after Mother Kelly’s opened, and has since worked her way up to the head office role she's in now.

Ree got her professional start in her hometown of Bury St Edmunds, and when she felt there were no new challenges for her there, she left town to make it in London.

But it wasn’t an easy transition. She speaks openly and honestly about the struggles she faced when looking for work and how it’s impacted the way she acts in her role today.

Ree’s story is one of grit - she’s used to starting at the bottom and working her way up. She says it’s the only way she knows how. And I’m sure it’s made her a better manager because she truly understands the roles she’s recruiting for. Why? She’s held them herself.

You’ll hear what work Ree was looking for when she moved to London and how she ended up at Mother Kelly’s instead. Then how she transitioned to her full-time head office role and what she’s learned along the way.

I’m grateful for Ree and others in roles like hers because - for me - it’s the people in this industry that make it so wonderful.

Ree lets us in on the one trait that every person she’s hired has had in common. We also talk about how people act differently online versus in real life, as not only is Ree involved in hiring, she also helps to manage some of the Mother Kelly’s social media, too.

She tells us what her day-to-day looks like now, what the best bit of her job is, and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry. Here she is...

Today’s guest is Jane Peyton, an award-winning drinks educator, author, speaker, broadcaster, and tour guide who runs her own business – the School of Booze – which she founded back in 2008 to offer training, consultancy, and corporate events.

Jane tells us what she was doing before she started the School of Booze and how a Venn diagram helped her to discover her perfect career path after she left behind her previous role as a documentary film producer.

Jane’s regarded as a bit of a legend here in the UK beer industry – and our conversation gives you a pretty good idea why.

You’ll hear from Jane on what it took to set a Guinness World Record, how she’s championed beer as Britain’s national beverage as the founder of Beer Day Britain, and how she’s been recognized for her many contributions to the British beer industry.

We discuss some of Jane’s many achievements during our conversation, but I’m also going to mention a few upfront, mainly so you know just how accomplished Jane truly is:

• She’s a Beer Sommelier and the UK’s first Pommelier, a sommelier specialising in cider
• Imbibe Magazine named her Drinks Educator of the Year in 2016
• She was acknowledged for her Outstanding Individual Achievement in Beer from the Beer & Cider Marketing Awards in 2017, and
• Just last year, she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group.

 Pretty impressive, huh?

Jane tells us what her day-to-day looks like, what accomplishment she’s most proud of, and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry. Here she is…

Today’s guest is Francesca Slattery, Overseas Manager for The Five Points Brewing Company.

Francesca has been a part of the Five Points team since 2016. She got her start at the brewery here in London, but when her personal circumstances changed and she relocated to Dublin... she brought the job with her!

For anyone wanting to know how to break into the beer industry, this is the episode for you.

You’ll hear about Francesca’s resolution to have “a career in beer by the end of the year” and how she made it happen; how her role has changed over the years, including how she made the transition from London to Dublin with Five Points; and of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here she is...

Today’s guest is Emma Heal, Managing Director of Lucky Saint, the UK’s biggest dedicated alcohol-free beer brand with the aim to “inspire the world to drink better.”

Emma tells us what a Managing Director does and what it was like to take on her role at Lucky Saint in February 2020… just one month before the pandemic began.

We then take a deep dive into the business: the incredible growth Lucky Saint has seen (growing 150% year on year), who their customers are, and what sets the brand apart from the other no- and low-products on the market.

Finally, Emma talks us through her career to date spanning a range of food and drink brands, what led her to pursue a career in beer, and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here’s Emma…

Welcome back to Beer with Nat.

It’s been a while! And, no, this isn’t a return to our regularly scheduled programming just yet, but I promise there will be new episodes in the new year!

What I’ve got to share with you today is something of a holiday special... Beer Nation 2020.

A few weeks ago, I was very kindly invited to take part in a podcast collaboration looking back at the year in beer here in the UK.

Beer Nation 2020 is the brainchild of Steve and Martin of the Beer O'Clock Show.

They recorded the first one way back in 2015, and five years later, they rounded us up for another conversation to put into the time capsule.

In this 2-part special, you’ll hear from the folks behind the following UK-based beer podcasts:

- Beer O'Clock Show

- Beers Without Frontiers

- Rhythm & Brews

- Sheffield Hopcast

- Men Beerhaving Badly

- Fermentation Beer & Brewing Radio

- and Beer with Nat

We talk about how this year has impacted the beer world, discussing topics like:

-where we’re drinking (as pubs, bars and taprooms were closed for much of this year),

-beer broadcasting and the rise in live streams and online events,

-diversity in beer, including the gains made and work still to be done,

-and our predictions for 2021.

Have a listen and share your thoughts with us on social using #BeerNation2020.

This is Beer Nation 2020, Part 1.

Today’s guest is Annabel Smith, a self-described professional beer taster.

Annabel is an award-winning Beer Sommelier and offers tastings, trainings, and consultancy through her own business, BeerBelle.

You’ll hear about how Annabel discovered her love for beer, her journey from pub landlady to professional beer taster, and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here she is…

Today’s guest is Julie O’Grady, Head of Sales, Marketing, and Events for Liverpool's Neptune Brewery.

Although Julie is relatively new to her current full-time role at Neptune, she’s been part of the brewery since it opened in 2015, as she and her husband, Les, founded the brewery together.

For the first few years, Julie was working full time for the NHS, then Liverpool City Council, and would help out with brewery on nights and weekends. (She'd squeeze in a few tweets during her lunch break is well!)

Julie’s involvement in the beer community goes beyond Neptune though. Just before the brewery opened, Julie founded Ladies That Beer, a meet-up group for beer loving ladies based in Liverpool, because she noticed a lack of women at the beer festivals she was attending.

From its beginnings is a social group, Ladies That Beer has taken on new aims to engage, educate, and empower women who love beer.

Hence why Julie was one of the co-organizers of the event I recorded at today, the Ladies' Big Beery Meet-up. Julie from Ladies That Beer and Alix Shaw from the Crafty Beer Girls (who you heard from in Episode 002 of Beer with Nat) planned this event in Manchester to bring beer loving ladies from across the country together for an afternoon.

And that’s where I recorded my first ever live episode of Beer with Nat!  (It's pretty similar to a regular episode, but with a few more woos and claps from my ever-so-engaged audience! Thanks all!)

In this episode, Julie talks us through her and Les's decision to open Neptune Brewery (and the fun story of where the name came from!), along with what it was like to balance the brewery work and her full-time job, to when she knew she was ready to make the transition to beer full-time.

She tells us what aspects of her work she’s most passionate about, what she likes to get up to outside of beer, and what she enjoys best about being a part of the beer industry.

Here she is...

Today’s guest is Sophie de Ronde, Head Brewer at Burnt Mill Brewery.

Sophie lets us in on what her day-to-day role as a head brewer looks like… but she’s quick to acknowledge that her experience in the role likely isn’t the same as others.

That’s because in recent years Sophie learned she’s allergic to wheat and barley, so she can’t actually spend much time on the brewery floor or even enjoy the products of her labour… but she still loves making beer.

She talks us through how she went from serving beer, to brewing beer, and her time spent as a brewing technologist at a malt producer, too.

Finally, Sophie tells us all about International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day, an annual celebration of women in beer that she’s been organizing since 2014, and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it!)

Here’s Sophie…

Welcome to Beer with Nat. I’m your host, Natalya Watson, but you can call me Nat – everyone else does!

On every episode, I'll share a beer and a chat with people who do what they love for a living... they work in the beer industry.

From head brewers, to packaging managers, to beer writers, and PRs, they’ve sat down with me to share their stories about what got them into beer, what they do for a living, what they love about the industry, and so much more.

As we’ve all ended up in this industry by pursuing a passion or chasing a dream, you can bet each guest has some pretty incredible stories to tell. 

Check back soon for the first episode of Beer with Nat.

Today’s guest is Claire Ashbridge-Thomlinson, Director and Founding Partner of East London Brewing Company.

Claire tells us what her day-to-day role as a Director there looks like, how the business got started, and what it’s been like to help navigate the brewery through these incredibly challenging last 16 months.  

We then learn all about her career before beer, what transferrable skills she brought with her, and what advice she has for others looking to start their own business.

Finally, we hear what she enjoys most about her role at East London Brewing Company and about being a part of the beer industry.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it!)

Here’s Claire…

Today’s guest is Lucie Dallas, General Manager of The Griffin Pub in Whetstone, North London.

To start, Lucie tells us what her day-to-day work life as a pub GM looks like, including a run-down of the different tasks on her to-do list and the skills she thinks it takes to really excel in her role.

We then discuss what it was like to see the pub – her business, her team and her customers – through all of the pandemic-related challenges of the last two years.

Finally, Lucie shares what she was up to before beer, the different roles she’s held during her time in the beer industry and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of it.

Here’s Lucie…

Today’s guest is Lotte Peplow, UK representative for the United States Brewers Association, the trade body for small and independent craft brewers in the States.

After graduating from uni, Lotte got her start in PR, working at several different agencies and representing various breweries and beer brands over the years, before deciding to set up her own PR business, Peplow PR.

Back in 2006, one of Lotte’s early beer clients passed her contact details on to the Brewers Association as they were looking for some help to start planning events in the UK. Lotte got involved, and reminisces fondly about the incredible beer and food pairing dinner she helped to arrange at the White Horse in Parsons’ Green all those years ago.

Since then, her role with the BA has only grown, and she now represents the BA on a full-time basis. Lotte writes, speaks, plans events, liaises with importers, represents the BA at meetings across the UK and Europe, and more.

She’s incredibly grateful for the opportunities the role has given her, from trips to the States for the Great American Beer Festival and Craft Brewers Conference, to a recent visit to The Hague.

We talk about what her day-to-day role looks like, what her most memorable experiences in the role have been, and what learnings from the US beer scene she’d like to see here in the UK.

Lotte is also a beer judge, Beer Sommelier, and recently qualified Certified Cicerone®. She tells me why she decided to pursue her certifications and about the credibility they’ve given her.

We also talk about what she gets up to outside of beer and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry. Here she is…

Today’s guest is Amy Todd, Owner and Analyst of Zymology Labs.

We start by discussing what Zymology Labs does, what inspired Amy to set up the business, and what her day-to-day there looks like.

Then Amy tells us how she got here and the training it took to set up an independent beer quality laboratory – from her chemistry degree in university, to an apprenticeship with the American Brewer’s Guild, to roles with Magic Hat and Zero Gravity Brewing in Vermont.

Finally, Amy lets us in what it’s been like to go from working for someone else to working for herself, what advice she has for others looking to set up their own business, and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it!)

Here’s Amy…

Today’s guest is Alex White, Brewer at London Fields Brewery.

Before Alex started brewing beer, she used to sell it, working as a sales rep for Carlsberg’s House of Beers. But before all that… she was a chef!

From her time as a chef, to beer sales, then brewing, you’ll hear about Alex’s experiences in each role and her grand plan for what she aims to do with the knowledge she’s gained along the way.

We also talk about it was like growing up in Australia, how she got into beer, and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here she is…

Today’s guest is Gabe Barry, Education Manager of Europe for Brooklyn Brewery.

Gabe lets us in on some of the many different things she gets up to as a beer educator, along with her unique approach to education, and her favourite beery topic to teach.

We also talk about her recent relocation from New York to Paris, how those beer scenes differ, and what excites her about being on this side of the pond.

Finally, Gabe tells us about her unique background before beer, how it helped to shape her perspective on the beer industry, and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of it.

Here she is...

Today’s guest is Cara Simpson, Sensory Trainer at Cara Technology.

Cara talks us through what it means to be a sensory trainer and what her day-to-day in the role looks like.

We also discuss why she and the business she works for share a name, what it was like to spend 6 weeks on a brewing internship in North Carolina, and of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Today’s guest is Helena Adedipe, Co-Founder of Eko Brewery.

To start, Helena tells us what inspired her and her husband, Anthony, to set up the business in 2019 and talks us through some of the unique ingredients and considerations behind their distinctive African-inspired beers.

We then discuss what her role looks like today and what keeps Helena busy outside the brewery, as she still maintains a full-time role as a financial crime consultant.

You may think that role might not have much to do with beer, but Helena lets us in on some of the skills she’s brought from her day job into her beer career. She also shares her advice for others looking to start their own business and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

(Just a quick heads up, there’s quite a bit of feedback from Helena’s mic as the conversation gets started, but we get the issue fixed about one-third of the way through. So please do hang in there and apologies in advance!)

Here’s Helena…

Today’s guest is Natasha Wolf, London Sales Manager for Manchester’s Beatnikz Republic Brewing Co.

Natasha talks us through her career in beer to date,  what interested her in sales, and how each of her previous roles has helped provide her with the skills she needs for the job she’s in today.

We also talk about how she got into beer in the first place, how she’s welcoming other women into beer as the co-founder of the Crafty Beer Girls, and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here she is...

Today’s guest is Louisa Ziane, Global Brand and Sustainability Director for Toast Ale.

You’ll hear all about how Louisa helped get Toast off the ground and how her varied background – from  law and accounting, to consulting and digital marketing – made her the perfect person for the job.

Louisa also tells us about Toast’s mission and why it’s so important to her and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Today’s guest is Lorraine Copes, Founder and CEO of Be Inclusive Hospitality, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to accelerate racial equality within the hospitality sector.

We start by discussing what inspired Lorraine to set up the organization, what her day-to-day role as Founder and CEO looks like, and what aspect of her work she’s felt to be most impactful so far.

We then hear all about Lorraine’s career to-date, as she’s spent nearly two decades leading procurement and supply chain teams for some of the country’s best-known restaurant and pub groups. She tells us what it’s been like to go from managing a team to managing her own business, including the pros and cons and what transferrable skills she brought with her.

Finally, Lorraine lets us in on what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer, pub and hospitality industry.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it!)

Here’s Lorraine…

Before we get into what we chatted about, I thought it best to mention when we chatted. Lana and I recorded in mid-December 2021, just two months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Given the current situation, I checked in with Lana to make sure she was comfortable with me sharing our conversation as planned and she felt there was no need to postpone it, suggesting instead that the episode may help draw attention to the country, its people and its beer scene.

If you’d like to support the people of Ukraine, Lana has launched a new initiative – Drinkers for Ukraine – to help raise funds for the Red Cross humanitarian relief effort in the country. Visit drinkersforukraine.com to find out how you can get involved.

And if you’d like to learn more about Lana, the incredible individual behind this initiative, listen in as we discuss what Lana’s day-to-day work life looks like, how she got into beer, and of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

(Just a quick heads up, I was recovering from Covid when Lana and I chatted, so my voice is a bit scratchy. Apologies in advance.)

Here’s Lana…

Today’s guest is Lucy Do, owner of The Dodo micropub in Hanwell, west London.

Lucy tells us what micropub is, what inspired her to open one, how she made it happen, and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here she is…

Welcome back to Beer with Nat.

After a long hiatus, Season Four is finally here!

This season, you’ll hear from a beer educator, bottle shop owner, beer marketing expert, and more. And – as always – each guest is someone who works in and is incredibly passionate about the beer and pub industry.

Before the new season starts though, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention what’s been going on in the beer industry of late.

Over the past few weeks – here in the UK, in the US, and beyond – women in beer have shown up in numbers to call out the inappropriate and sexist treatment they’ve been subjected to for years.

The movement began thanks to Brienne Allan in the US and Siobhan Buchanan has stepped up here in the UK to help amplify even more voices needing to be heard.

Despite the progress that’s been made these past few years, with more women working in and drinking beer, the thousands of incidents that have been shared on social in recent weeks show just how far we have to go. Not only for equal representation, but – more importantly – for equal treatment.

My goal with the Beer with Nat podcast has always been to help shine a spotlight on women in beer, in order to show how many of us there are and to help normalize our presence.

So consider this season yet another reminder from me, and my incredible guests, that beer is for everyone.

Check back soon for the first episode of Season Four.

Today’s guest is Alix Shaw, Assistant Packaging Manager at The Five Points Brewing Company in Hackney, East London.

Alix is also a co-founder of the Crafty Beer Girls, a community of beer loving ladies who work in the beer industry or just enjoy a good pint.  In addition to monthly meet ups at pubs and bars in London, Crafty Beer Girls has an online community that’s grown to nearly 800 women worldwide, since its founding in 2015.

I met Alix through Crafty Beer Girls and was so excited to get her on the podcast because her energy and enthusiasm for all things beer is infectious. Plus, her story of how she got to where she is in the beer world has lessons for us all.

Alix and I talk about how she made her transition from wine to beer, and what she’s learned by saying yes to every opportunity that came her way… namely, discovering her passion for packaging.

Alix tells what she loves most about her role as Assistant Packaging Manager, educates us on what can go wrong when beers aren’t properly packaged, and emphasizes the importance of building a tight-knit team.

We reflect on her personal journey in beer, along with the growth of the Crafty Beer Girls and its impact on the London beer community over the years.

We also talk about what Alix gets up to outside of the beer world, what picks her up after a down day or long shift, and what changes she’s hoping to bring to the beer industry to help create safer and fairer working environments for all.

If you’ve never really paid attention to beer packaging before, prepare for that to change. If anyone can make you passionate about packaging, it’s Alix.

Here she is…

Welcome to this Beer with Nat mini-series!

On every episode of Beer with Nat, I share a beer and a chat with people who do what they love for a living. But, this mini-series is a little different.

Instead of chatting with women who work in the beer industry, like I normally do… this time, I’m chatting with women who don’t.

Why? To show that it’s not just women who work in beer that love it.

Over the next four episodes, I chat with an actress, archivist, podcaster and broadcaster, not only about their careers and what it’s like to do work that they love for a living, but why beer is their beverage of choice.

Today’s guest is Saoirse-Monica Jackson, actress best known for her role as Erin Quinn in Derry Girls. Saoirse tells us how she got into acting, the differences between working on stage and on screen, some of the things she wished she knew when she first got started and the people who have helped her along the way.

We also talk and taste our way through two different beers, as Saorise tells us about what it was like to grow up in a pub as her parents ran one when she was younger and what got her into beer.

Saoirse’s normally a light lager drinker, but she asked me to introduce her to some new styles, so I pulled together a few options and we ended up tasting a unique Belgian beer style called a kriek – it’s aged on sour cherries, so it’s got a beautiful pink colour and sweet-and-sour flavour profile – followed by a pastry, or dessert, stout which was flavoured to taste like a chocolate fudge cake. You’ll find out what she thinks of each shortly!

Just a quick heads up, we recorded this episode way back in December 2019, back in the days when we could be in the same space and share a beer! The initial idea was to release this mini-series in April, but as you all know, life happened. So here we are, a little while later. But, better late than never!

Here’s Saorise…

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Saoirse's shout outs:

Find a link to the Kate Nash music video Saoirse mentioned here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL7ROvmXe-A

Along with a link to the IMDb page for their upcoming movie, 'Higher Grounds': https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11426538/

And if you haven't yet watched Derry Girls, here you go: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/derry-girls/on-demand/59741-001

Today’s guest is Helen Anne Smith (they/them), Founder of Burum Collective.

We start by discussing what Burum Collective is all about, what inspired Helen to set it up during the first pandemic lockdown in 2020, the resources they offer currently and what their goals are for the future.

Then we get into what keeps Helen busy alongside Burum, including part-time roles as a bartender and in sales and marketing for Wilderness Brewery and Welsh Mountain Cider.  

Finally, Helen lets us in on what they were up to before beer, how they got their start in the beer industry, and, of course, what they enjoy most about being a part of it.

Here’s Helen…

Welcome back to this Beer with Nat mini-series!

On every episode of Beer with Nat, I share a beer and a chat with people who do what they love for a living...But this mini-series is a little different.

Instead of chatting with women who work in the beer industry, like I normally do… this time, I’m chatting with women who don’t.

Why? To show that it’s not just women who work in beer that love it.

In this four-episode mini-series, I chat with an actress, archivist, podcaster and broadcaster, not only about their careers and what it’s like to do work that they love for a living, but why beer is their beverage of choice.

Today’s guest is Ellie King, archivist at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. Ellie tells us about what sparked her interest in a career as an archivist, the training required, and the coolest project she’s worked on so far.

We also chat about what got Ellie into beer, what inspired her to set up her beery Instagram account (@hoppy_raptor) and what she enjoys most about the online beer community that she’s a part of.

Ellie is a big fan of Burning Sky Brewery – she lets us know why in the chat! – so she’s drinking their Arise Pale Ale. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get my hands on the same beer, but I had a lovely fruit-forward pale ale from Rock Leopard to keep me company.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it.)  

Here’s Ellie…

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Ellie's can't miss Instagram accounts:

@mary.hoppins

@awomansbrew

@theresa.undine

Today’s guest is Jackie Moody-McNamara, coach, mentor and consultant at Turn the Key.

Jackie, quite literally, grew up in pubs, as both of her parents ran pubs when she was younger. She tells us how she progressed from pub relief manager, to trainer, to Director of Operations for Punch Taverns, overseeing an estate of 500 pubs.

We talk about what she learned along the way, and how that’s informed her current role as a coach and mentor to other women who are advancing in their careers in hospitality.

Then we go into some fascinating research that Jackie’s undertaken on the 7 factors that are holding women back from the boardroom, and the 7 opportunities. Find the full report here.

Finally, Jackie lets us in on what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer and pub industry.  

Here she is...

Today’s guest is Miranda Hudson, co-founder of Duration Brewing.

A few years ago, Miranda and her husband and co-founder, Derek Bates, set out to build their dream brewery.

She talks us through her role in building Duration’s brand, business, and the brewery itself.

Miranda and I recorded this episode at the London Craft Beer Festival as she was invited down by Jane Barnes from Mothership Brewing to speak on a panel about “breaking into the beer industry”.

If you missed the panel, don’t worry! You’ll get to hear Miranda’s full story right here... and this episode may just make you feel like you’re at the festival anyhow!

The festival’s organizers kindly allowed us to record in the brewers lounge, and although the space was perfectly quiet during the day session, I did not realize the party atmosphere it would turn in to later on!

That said, the background noise on this episode is a little bit louder than usual.

I was really keen to catch Miranda while she was in town from Norfolk, so we made it work, but I’ll certainly be more mindful about recording at beer festivals in the future!

Miranda talks us through her varied career path, the skills each job has given her and how they’ve helped in her current role at Duration, and, finally, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here she is...

Today’s guest is Jo Dring, Senior PR Manager at Heineken UK.

Jo lets us in on the day-to-day of her role, the best bits of the job, and some of her favourite campaigns that she’s run over the years.

Then we talk through her decade-plus career in beer, from getting her start at Wells & Young's, to working for Carlsberg both in the UK and abroad, and then to her current role at Heineken. She also tells us about her brief stint as a stand up comedian and how that’s helped her in her day job!

Finally, Jo tells us how she’s seen the industry change over the years and what she enjoys most about being a part of it.

Here she is...

Today’s guest is Lily Waite, Founder of The Queer Brewing Project.

As you’ll hear, Lily wears a lot of hats – she’s an artist, activist, beer writer and photographer, and with her newest project, a brewer!

Lily tells us how The Queer Brewing Project got started, what her day-to-day looks like now, both with the Project and outside of it, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry, and plenty more.

Here she is…

Today’s guest is a familiar voice, as we take a little trip down memory lane and revisit the first ever episode of Beer with Nat with Jaega Wise, head brewer at Wild Card Brewery.

Jaega, I still can’t thank you enough for agreeing to sit down and chat with me. 

This time last year, this whole podcast thing was just a brainwave I had on a flight to Belfast. And look where we are now!

To everyone listening, thank you for joining me on this journey.

My initial intro to this episode was a bit long (Jaega’s got quite a few accomplishments to rhyme off!), so this time around I’ve decided to cut it out and jump right in, so you can hear Jagea’s story in her own words.

Here she is…

Today’s guest is Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, a role she’s held for the past 10 years. 

We talk about the many different aspects of Brigid’s role, her previous work experience and how she got to the role she’s in today, the accomplishment she’s most proud of, and a whole lot more.

I will note that as Brigid represents many member breweries on behalf of the BBPA, she admitted it would be a bit too tough to narrow down just one beer of choice.

So we skipped the beer this time, but there’s still plenty of chat!

Here she is…    

Today’s guest is Cherisse Ketchum, Co-Founder of Gusto Brand Marketing.

To start, Cherisse tells us what her business does, what inspired her and her Co-Founder, Crystal, to set it up, and some of her favourite projects that she’s worked on so far.

We then talk about Cherisse’s decade-long career in beer and the various roles she’s held, before discussing what she was up to before beer and the transferrable skills she brought with her.

Finally, Cherisse shares what it’s like to work for yourself, her advice on starting a business and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it!)

Here’s Cherisse…

Today’s guest is Anouk Lagae, President Core Europe for Duvel Moortgat - an independent, family-run Belgian brewery - a role she's held for the past two years, after being promoted from her previous role as Chief Marketing Officer.

After graduating with a degree in business engineering, Anouk held marketing and management roles at Unilever and Coca-Cola, the latter of which saw her travel the world – living in Brussels, Australia, and London - a “life-changing” experience, as she describes it.

After deciding to return to Belgium with her young family, Anouk set her sights on working for a Belgian company with international aims – enter Duvel Moortgat.

Despite having no beer background, Anouk tells us how she felt embraced by her new Duvel family, and in turn, how she embraced learning every detail about Duvel, which helped her to discover and fall in love with the beer.

We talk about her day-to-day role, how her new role in management differs from her previous role as CMO, why she loves marketing, and what drives her today.

Anouk tells me what it’s like to be the first, and only, woman on the Duvel Moortgat management committee and about the sense of responsibility she feels to help support other women in the business and the industry more broadly.

We also talk about the best bits of her job, her interests outside of beer (and how those interests are now more relevant than ever with Duvel Moortgat’s latest partnership), and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here she is...

Full disclosure: I work with Anouk in my role as Marketing Manager at Duvel Moortgat UK

Today’s guest is Dr. Margaux Huismann, Hop Applications Scientist at Totally Natural Solutions.

Margaux tells us what her role at Total Natural Solutions entails, what the business does, and we even do a little tasting experiment with some of their products!

Then we learn what sort of training it took for Margaux to get to this role by focusing in on her academic journey, which saw her move from Wisconsin to Scotland to pursue her Master’s in Brewing and Distilling and later PhD in Brewing Chemistry at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. She tells us all about what it was like to move across the pond, along the with topics of her Master’s and PhD theses and the research that each entailed.

Finally, Margaux tells us what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it!)

Here’s Margaux…

–––

Check out Margaux's recently published paper(s) in the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists here:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03610470.2021.1937460

Welcome back to Beer with Nat.

This isn’t a return to our regularly scheduled programming just yet!

This is Part 2 of Beer Nation 2020, a podcast collaboration that looks back on the year in beer here in the UK.

If you haven’t listened to Part 1, scroll down on your podcast feed and start there to hear more about the idea behind the collaboration, the podcasters involved and what we chat about.

For those of you who have listened to Part 1, I won’t keep you waiting any longer. This is Beer Nation 2020, Part 2.

Welcome back to Beer with Nat.

On every episode, I share a beer and a chat with people who do what they love for a living…

But this mini-series is a little different.

Instead of chatting with women who work in the beer industry, like I normally do… this time, I’m chatting with women who don’t.

Why? Following the philosophy that’s inspired every episode of Beer with Nat - “If you can’t see, you can’t be” – I want to show that it’s not just women who work in beer that love it.

In this four-part mini-series, I share a beer and a chat with an actress, archivist, podcaster, and broadcaster, not only about their careers and what it’s like to do work that they love for a living, but why beer is their beverage of choice.

I had the idea for this mini-series a while ago and actually recorded the first episode way back in December 2019. The initial plan to was release it after Beer with Nat Season 3 wrapped up, but, sadly, that season was left at a loose end because of the pandemic and I put my recording on hold.

Despite my reluctance to record remotely – there’s really nothing quite like sharing a beer and a chat in person – I decided these stories were worth telling, so last month, I hopped on Zencastr to record episodes two through four.

And, finally, here we are. Better late than never, right?

A new episode of this four-part mini-series will go live each Wednesday in August. So be sure to check back tomorrow for episode one… with actress Saoirse-Monica Jackson.

Chat soon!

Today’s guest is freelance beer writer Ruvani de Silva.

Ruvani tells us what her day-to-day life as a freelance beer writer looks like and talks us through some of her latest pieces for Burum Collective and Good Beer Hunting.

Then we hear about her many careers before beer, how she made the transition to full-time beer writing, and what advice she has for others looks to follow a similar path.

Finally, as a Brit now based in central Texas, Ruvani shares her thoughts on how the US and UK beer scenes stack up and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it!)

Here’s Ruvani…

Today’s guest is Jan Rogers, owner and director of Marble Brewery in Manchester.

In 1990, Jan turned up for a drink at the Marble Arch pub and – in her words – didn’t go home. She began working at the pub and, when it was facing uncertainty in the late ‘90s, Jan was adamant that karaoke wasn’t the fix. Instead, the decision was made to install a small brew kit in the pub and that’s how Marble Brewery began back in 1997.

From Marble’s early days, I ask Jan to reflect on how both the business and the beer industry have changed over the last twenty years. (Yes, it was a big ask, but Jan’s got some great stories and incredible insight to share.)

We talk about why she sees the brewery’s small size as an asset and how it’s allowed her to create a sense of community not only within the business, but across the Manchester and broader UK beer scene, too.

Jan tells me what aspects of her job she enjoys best, what she’s most proud of, and what her vision is for Marble’s future.

Before I turn it over to our conversation, I just wanted to add in a mention of how Jan and I met: Back in November, I headed up to Manchester to record my first ever live episode of Beer with Nat at the Ladies’ Big Beery Meet-up – a meet up of beer-loving ladies from across the country hosted by Ladies that Beer and Crafty Beer Girls – which you’ll hear on my next episode.

Jan not only hosted us at one of Marble Brewery’s venues, 57 Thomas Street, she also agreed to get there early to meet me for a beer and a chat before the event kicked off so I could squeeze in another recording while in town. Thanks again, Jan!

Although we’d not met before, I heard Jan’s Northern Irish accent and instantly felt right at home. Yes, I sound very American by now, but both of my parents are Northern Irish and I actually lived there for a few years as a child. It felt like Jan and I had an immediate connection and I couldn’t wait to sit down, chat and get to know her better.

Here she is…

Today’s guest is Em Sauter, a beer educator, Advanced Cicerone®, and the founder of Pints & Panels.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Em combined her love of beer with her skills as a cartoonist to create Pints & Panels, her business dedicated to visual beer education.

We start by discussing what the day-to-day life of a professional cartoonist looks like. Then, we look ahead to Em’s upcoming Master Cicerone® exam and forthcoming book. Before taking look back at what Em was up to before beer and how she made the transition from drawing about beer to working in it.

Finally, Em lets us know her motto when it comes to drinking beer and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it!)

Here’s Em…   

Today’s guest is Natalie Davie, Transformation Manager at Camden Town Brewery.

Natalie tells us what a Transformation Manager does, how she got the job, and why it’s the perfect role for her.  

We also talk about what it was really like to be on her side of the business when Camden Town Brewery was acquired by AB InBev in 2015.

Finally, Natalie shares her experience of navigating the beer industry — not only as a woman of colour, but also as a new parent — and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of it.

Here she is…

Today’s guest is Claire Bullen, beer writer, cookbook author, and Editor in Chief of Good Beer Hunting.

We start by talking about Claire’s newest role as Editor in Chief of Good Beer Hunting, how being a writer for the site helped prepare her for the role, and the best bit of the job so far.

We also discuss her award-winning cookbook, The Beer Lover’s Table, her favorite recipe from the book, and how it feels to have her work recognized. 

Then Claire reflects on what first got her into beer and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here she is…

Today’s guest is Becky Kean, Co-Founder & Director of Nirvana Brewery, a London-based brewery that specializes in alcohol free beer.

You’ll hear how Becky first discovered beer, how a road trip to Germany with her brother helped her get her start in the beer business, and what her day to day with Nirvana looks like now.

We also talk about the no and low alcohol space and how it’s grown, some of the different approaches to producing alcohol free beer, and, of course, some of the challenges.

Finally, Becky tells us what she learned from her previous roles, how they’ve helped with the work she’s doing now and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here she is...

Today’s guest is Nanna Guldbaek, Art Director for Norwegian brewery Lervig.

Although Nanna just gradated from her Industrial Design program in Denmark last year, she didn’t wait until she finished university to get to work – balancing projects for uni while producing beer labels for Lervig.

Nanna’s been working with Lervig for two years now, initially as a designer, then transitioning to her current role as Art Director.

She tells us how she met the Lervig team and how social media played a hand in helping her get the job.

You’ll hear her describe her artistic style, what she’s aiming to communicate through her designs – whether it’s a certain mood or feeling that a particular beer might evoke – and how important both the look and feel of the labels are to her… she considers every dimension and every detail.

We also talk about what it’s like to collaborate with other designers, to work beyond the beer label – creating immersive rooms at beer festivals, for example – and about Nanna’s product design side-project… which also has to do with beer!

Outside of her role at Lervig, Nanna is collaborating with two other industrial designers to turn spent grain – the byproduct from brewing – into a new, sustainable material, using different bio-binders. The project is still in its early days, but she talks us through the progress they’ve made and their future plans.

We also talk about Nanna’s non-stop travel of late, her interest in exploring and meeting new people, and what she loves most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here she is…

Today’s guest is Jules Gray, owner of Hop Hideout and the organizer of Sheffield Beer Week, Indie Beer Feast and Indie Beer Shop Day.

Jules tells us all about how she set up one of the UK’s first drink in bottle shops, how it’s changed over the years, and how the learnings she took from her previous roles in the beer industry have helped with her business today.

You’ll also hear more about the different activities and local charities Jules supports; how you can get involved with her latest initiative, Indie Beer Shop Day; and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it!)

Here’s Jules…

___

P.S. To hear more from Jules, listen in to our recent conversation on the Good Beer Hunting podcast!

Today’s guest is Mellanie Struthers, Co-Founder of Draught Drop, the UK’s first draught beer delivery service.

Mell tells us what her day-to-day life at Draught Drop looks like, how the business works and what inspired her and her husband to set it up.

We also hear about the many skills Mell brought with her from her previous career… which was conveniently in e-commerce in the food and drinks space!

Finally, Mell shares  what it’s been like to go from working for someone else to working for herself, her advice for others looking to start their own business and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it!)

Here’s Mell…

Welcome to this Beer with Nat mini-series!

Instead of chatting with women who work in the beer industry, like I normally do… in this mini-series, I’m chatting with women who don’t.

Why? To show that it’s not just women who work in beer that love it.

Today’s guest is journalist and broadcaster, Marverine Cole. Marverine tells us what inspired her to pursue a career in journalism, talks us through the various roles she’s held to date, and lets us in her new day-to-day, as head of the undergraduate journalism program at Birmingham City University.

In addition to her work as a journalist and broadcaster, Marverine is also a Beer Sommelier! We chat about what got her into beer, what led her to pursue the Beer Sommelier qualification, and she shares an exciting new opportunity that’s just come her way that combines her passion for beer with her career in journalism.

Coincidentally, Marverine and I ended up drinking the same beer! A modern British classic, Thornbridge Jaipur. You’ll hear why she loves it so much shortly.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it.)

Here’s Marverine…

Marverine’s shout outs:

Check her out on Twitter, @beerbeauty

Find her author page on BBC Good Food

And finally, here are some of the wonderful women who helped welcome her into beer:

• Melissa Cole
• Jane Peyton and her School of Booze
• Susanna Forbes
• Frances Braces
• Sophie Atherton
• Sophie de Ronde
• And many more!

Welcome back to Beer with Nat.

The fifth and final season of the show is here.

This season, you’ll hear from a head brewer, managing director, brewery co-founder, events manager and more. And – as always – each guest is someone who works in and is incredibly passionate about the beer and pub industry.

At the end of this season – after 50 episodes – I’ll be bringing the Beer with Nat podcast to a close. But that doesn’t mean this kind of content is going away!

If you’d like to continue hearing from different people about their beer careers, be sure to check out Hannah Kiem’s “Brews with Broads” and Kindsey Bernhard’s “Boys are from Marzen”. Both podcasts feature interviews with women and non-binary individuals who work in beer and love what they do… so if you’re a fan of this this podcast, theirs will be right up your street.

I hope you enjoy listening to this final season and please do consider it yet another reminder from me – and my incredible guests – that beer truly is for everyone.

Check back soon for the first episode of Season 5.

Ruth has been with Elusive for just about a year now, but her promotion to Operations Director was relatively recent. As the role was still very new when we spoke, she tells us a bit about what her current day-to-day looks like, the vision for the future, and what her previous role as Head of Sales, Marketing and Events entailed.

We then go all the way back to the beginning of Ruth’s career in beer which has seen her work in sales roles for breweries including Adnams, Charles Wells, West Berkshire, Utopian and now Elusive. (She’s also spent some time in gin sales, too!) As you’ll hear, she’s got a wealth of experience and knowledge to share, including advice on how to get started in a career in beer, the skills it takes to succeed in sales and much more.

Finally, Ruth tells us what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

(Just a quick heads-up Ruth’s adorable sausage dog Bertie was in the room with her during our conversation, so you’ll hear him chime in on occasion. Hopefully it’s not too distracting!)

Here’s Ruth…

Welcome back to Beer with Nat. On every episode, I share a beer and a chat with people who do what they love for a living... they work in the beer industry.

Come on back next week for the first episode of season two!

Today’s guest is Allison Macdonald, Head Brewer at Malt Shovel Brewers in Sydney, Australia.

We start by discussing what Alli’s day-to-day role looks like and her favourite part of the job, then we get into what inspired her to become a brewer and how she made it happen.

Alli also tells us about her three-year tenure as the President of the Australian chapter of the Pink Boots Society, the advice she has for others looking to get into brewing and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here’s Alli…     

Today’s guest is Gaia Freytag, Quality Assurance Manager at Birrificio del Ducato in Parma, Italy.

While pursing her Master's in Food Science and Technology, Gaia discovered her passion for beer and sought to learn everything she could through self-study, in addition to her coursework.

After graduating, she had a short stint interning at a brewery in north Italy, then landed her current role at del Ducato.

In addition to her work in the lab, Gaia also serves as a brand ambassador for the small team, traveling to represent the brewery at events and festivals across Europe.

And that’s actually how Gaia and I met. She was over in London to pour at a festival and – as del Ducato is now part of the Duvel family – she reached out and asked if we could get together for a beer and a chat. And I’m so, so glad she did. We chatted for two hours about our shared passion and I knew then I needed to get Gaia on the podcast.

Beer quality is something we all hear mentioned, but very few of us actually know what it entails or may feel intimidated by all the technical terms. Gaia loves what she does and does her best to make quality a topic we can all engage in.

That said though, if there are any topics we discuss that we didn’t go into enough detail on or that you’d like to learn more about, Gaia has very kindly offered to take your questions to help make sense of it all. Head on over to beerwithnat.com to find out how to reach her. (Thanks, Gaia!)

In this episode, you’ll learn all about the day to day role of a quality manager, why Gaia feels her job never truly ends, and what she thinks are the most overlooked aspects of quality – by both breweries and consumers.

You’ll also hear where beer has let Gaia travel to, what she gets up to outside of the beer world, and how beer has helped to bring her out of her shell.

Here she is…

Today’s guest is Amber Dernulc, Procurement Manager at Jolly Good Beer.

Amber tells me all about her role and the skills it requires, how she got into beer distribution in the first place, and how her previous experience in theatre and film production proved surprisingly helpful to what she does today.

We also have a bit of real talk towards the end of our chat as Amber lets us in on some of her concerns about the future of beer from her perspective in distribution.

But don’t worry, there’s a positive note to end on – what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here she is…

Today’s guest is Maia Kazas, European Events Manager at global hop company Barth-Haas.

To start, Maia tells us what Barth-Haas does, what her role as events manager entails and how her work was impacted by the pandemic, given that most of the activities she’d normally be organizing were put on hold the past two years.

Maia then shares what she was up to before beer and how she made her transition into the beer industry – more specifically, into working with hops. You’ll get to hear all about her experience working on a hop farm in New Zealand and what it was like for her to move from the US to the UK for her job… without ever visiting first!

We also discuss one of Maia’s other passions: mead. And lastly, Maia lets us in on what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

Here’s Maia…

Welcome back to this Beer with Nat mini-series!

On every episode of Beer with Nat, I share a beer and a chat with people who do what they love for a living. But this mini-series is a little different.

Instead of chatting with women who work in the beer industry, like I normally do… this time, I’m chatting with women who don’t.

Why? To show that it’s not just women who work in beer that love it.

Today’s guest is Gabrielle Corbett, podcast producer and host of the Bitesize Bodacious Babes podcast, a podcast that demystifies the music industry. Gabi tells us about what led her to pursue a career in music, talks us through the different roles she’s held, and explains how they’ve inspired her to start her podcast.

We also chat about Gabi’s love of beer, how she discovered her go-to style, and what aspect of beer she enjoys most.

Gabi’s a dark beer fan, so she’s got a porter from a local Scottish brewery and I’m sipping on a stout. We’ll each tell you more about our beers of choice shortly.

(Just a quick heads up, this episode was recorded remotely, so the audio quality is not quite the same as previous seasons, but I hope you still enjoy it.)

Here’s Gabi…

---

Gabi’s shout outs:

• Check out her podcast, Bitesize Bodacious Babes 
• Her Medium page for podcasting tips
• And @_studioemma’s Instagram

And a quick clarification:

7:10 - The collective that Redinno is part of is called Numbrs (not Colours!)

In a Beer with Nat first, this week includes a bonus episode!

Lotte Peplow, who you heard from in Episode #008, is so passionate about beer and food pairing, she invited me to her home and prepared three different pairings for us to share... so we could eventually share them with you, as well.

Lotte talks us through each dish – a starter, main, and dessert – and explains why each recipe works well with the recommended beer.

She also references a whole host of resources, recipes, and further reading, which you'll find on beerwithnat.com.

A quick caution – don’t listen to this episode while hungry. You’ve been warned!

Time for Lotte to take it away…

Today’s guest is Pip Young, founder of The Coven Brewsters and Brewery Manager at Salt Beer Factory.

To start, Pip tells us about her business, 30 Six Co, and the projects it encompasses, including Flour to the People and The Coven Brewsters. You’ll hear all about what she’s accomplished so far and her exciting plans for the year ahead.

We also discuss her role as Brewery Manager at Salt Beer Factory and the collaboration brew that brought both of her worlds together.

Finally, Pip shares her advice on how to get into the beer industry and what she enjoys most about being a part of it.

(Just a quick heads up, Pip was chatting with me from the brewery taproom, so there’s a bit of background noise on her end, but hopefully it’s not too distracting!)

Here’s Pip…

Today’s guest is Megan Stone, brewer and social media consultant.

Although she’s currently based in San Diego, California, Megan was recently in the UK for a three-week brewing residency with Laine Brew Co in Brighton to help them launch their new diversity in beer apprenticeship.

Megan talks us through her career in beer to date, from her earliest brewing internship, to her most recent brewing residence.

We also discuss her incredibly popular Instagram account, @isbeeracarb, and how she’s grown it to more than 30k followers.

Finally, we talk about why diversity and representation in the industry are so important to her, and of course, and what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry.

 Here she is...

Welcome back to Beer with Nat. It’s the start of a brand new year… and the start of a brand new season.

Beer with Nat season 3 kicks off next week.

Today’s guest is Ellie Walsh, General Manager at BrewDog Canary Wharf.

Ellie tells us what it takes to run a bar, how her uni studies in film making are surprisingly relevant to her role today, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry, and a whole lot more.

Here she is…

For this final episode of the ‘Beer with Nat’ podcast, we’re going full circle… all the way back to Episode #001.

Today’s guest is Jaega Wise, Head Brewer at Wild Card Brewery and my very first guest when the show kicked off in November 2018.

We start by checking in with Jaega on what she’s been up to since then, including seeing the brewery through the pandemic, launching their new barrel program, hosting a TV series and publishing a book. (Yep, she’s been busy!)

Then, as a thank you to Jaega for helping me get the show off the ground all those years go… she gets to turn the tables and interview me!   

We chat all about my career, what I was up to before beer, what I enjoy most about being part of the beer industry and plenty more.

We have a lot of laughs, too. I hope you enjoy listening in.

Here’s Jaega…