The Beer Rep Chats With is your front-row seat to the UK’s independent beer scene. Join host Martin as he sits down with brewery founders and industry insiders to uncover the stories behind the pints, from recipe innovation and branding, access to market struggles, and community impact. Expect honest conversations, brewing insights, and a few laughs along the way.
Natalya Watson on WSET Beer Courses & Judging Beer
Episode 37
Monday, October 5, 2026 • Duration 55:38
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 beer, why smell is so important and how to approach tasting more systematically.
We also talk about some of the beers used in WSET classes, including a Munich Dunkel
Becoming a beer judge
How do you actually become a beer judge?
Nat takes me through how she got started, what happens around the judging table and how judges separate personal preference from assessing a beer against competition criteria.
Finding your way into beer
We also talk about different beer styles, developing your palate and how you might introduce someone who doesn't think they're a beer drinker to something they could actually enjoy.
Cheers with Nat
Towards the end, we talk about Natalya’s own podcast, Cheers with Nat, and how it has evolved into conversations across the wider drinks world.
Quick fire
We finish with a few quick questions, including Natalya’s favourite beer, an underrated beer style and three breweries that have played an important part in her beer journey.
If you’ve ever thought about doing a WSET beer course, becoming a beer judge, improving your tasting skills or simply understanding more about what’s in your glass, there’s plenty here to get stuck into.
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 Baker's Dozen.
Dean talks about some of the brewery's best-known beers, including Electric Landlady and award-winning Undertow, made with Citra and Nelson Sauvin. We also discuss SIBA awards, BeerX, why the brewery decided to focus on its core range, and how Dean's taste in beer has changed over the years.
The conversation also moves into some of the bigger challenges facing small independent breweries, including rising costs, quieter pubs and access to market. Having previously run a tied pub, Dean shares his experience of the tied pub system and the difficulties independent breweries face when trying to get their beer into more pubs.
And finally, Dean explains his love of the long-gone Carling Premier, talks about a previous Nitro IPA collaboration and why he thinks we should see more Nitro Lagers, Nitro IPAs and other nitro beers.
How Tap Social Movement Is Changing Lives Through Beer
Episode 35
Monday, September 7, 2026 • Duration 40:33
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: high quality, experimental when appropriate, but ultimately welcoming and accessible to as many drinkers as possible. Ben discusses the brewery’s growth, supplying supermarkets such as Waitrose, increasing can production and the challenges of consistency, shelf life and cold storage.
At the heart of the episode is Tap Social Movement’s social enterprise mission. Ben explains how the brewery provides paid employment, training and progression opportunities for people who have been through, or are currently going through, the prison system. He shares how people can build confidence, learn new skills and move into brewing, sales, hospitality or their own business ventures.
00:00 - 02:42 Introduction: Meet Ben Addison, Head Brewer at Tap Social Movement
02:43 - 04:37 How Ben first got into brewing
04:38 - 07:38 Discovering hop dipping and how the process works
John Gyngell on North Bar, North Brewing & UK Craft Beer
Episode 34
Monday, August 24, 2026 • Duration 53:35
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 gradually became known for great hospitality, better beer and introducing drinkers to products they might never have encountered before.
We talk about how North Bar discovered beers from Belgium, Germany and the United States, becoming an early champion of beers such as Brooklyn Lager, Duvel and Erdinger, and how that experience eventually helped lead to the creation of North Brewing Co.
John also talks openly about the brewery's rapid growth, the success of beers such as Transmission, expanding into a much larger brewery, selling beer around the world and getting North Brewing into UK supermarkets.
But the conversation also explores the much harder side of running a brewery.
John explains what happened when COVID hit during the move to North Brewing's larger Springwell brewery, the financial pressures that followed, rising costs, COVID loans and the eventual decision to enter administration. He discusses the deal with Kirkstall Brewery, why he believes the decision was made in good faith to protect the brand and team, and what happened after he left.
We also discuss what brewery founders can learn from those experiences, why having enough financial backing matters, the dangers of chasing growth too quickly, rebranding too often and following every new beer trend.
John shares his thoughts on whether craft beer really is dying, why beer trends are cyclical, how the quality of beer has changed and why independent beer still has a future.
Burton Roots, Cornish Beer and the Rise of Bluntrock
Episode 33
Monday, August 10, 2026 • Duration 48:08
What does it take to build an independent brewery from the ground up? In this episode of The Beer Rep Chats With, Martin sits down with George Parker Collins, co-founder and head brewer of Bluntrock Brewery in Rock, North Cornwall, to hear the story behind one of Cornwall's most distinctive independent breweries.
George grew up in Burton upon Trent, surrounded by brewing. His parents met while working at Allied Breweries, and his childhood was spent around Tower Brewery, giving him an early connection to brewing before he even realised it. At 18, he moved into the brewing industry and began his career at Sharp's Brewery, gaining experience of the standards, systems and discipline of a large-scale brewery.
He then moved to Padstow Brewing, where he went from working within a large brewing team to effectively running the brewing operation himself. It was at Padstow that George began experimenting with modern hoppy beers, one-off releases and canned beer, discovering the ingredients and techniques that would eventually influence Bluntrock's brewing philosophy.
George explains how the idea for Bluntrock started with a simple ambition to build a brewpub in Rock and Polzeath where beer could be brewed and sold directly at the source. That dream eventually became reality through four shipping containers, a tiny 150-litre brew kit and plenty of DIY work during the pandemic.
The story didn't stop there. After demand quickly outgrew the original brewery, George and business partner Hugo took an unexpected gamble at the auction of Boxcar Brewery's equipment. They won the bid and suddenly found themselves owning a much larger brewery, despite having nowhere to put it.
George talks openly about the challenges of scaling Bluntrock, moving into the new brewery in 2023, dealing with second-hand equipment, building a team of almost 30 people and expanding to three taprooms.
We also get into Bluntrock's beers and brewing philosophy, including Pagan Juice, the beer inspired by George's Cornish cookouts, the distinctive Bluntrock artwork and the story behind the brewery's "bucket head" characters.
Inside Anspach & Hobday: The Rise of London Black
Episode 32
Monday, July 20, 2026 • Duration 53:00
In this episode of Beer Rep Chats, I'm joined by Jack Hobday, co-founder of Anspach & Hobday, for an in-depth conversation about the remarkable rise of London Black, one of the UK's most talked-about nitro porters.
Jack shares the story of how two friends turned a homebrewing hobby into one of London's most respected independent breweries, the inspiration behind London Black, and why it has become a favourite among craft beer drinkers across the UK.
We discuss how nitro beer works, the influence of Guinness, the evolution of the craft beer industry, cask vs keg, New England IPAs, beer marketing, AI, and the challenges facing independent breweries and pubs today.
Whether you're a fan of craft beer, brewing, hospitality, or simply enjoy hearing the stories behind great breweries, this episode is packed with insight, humour and honest conversation.
Alcohol-free beer has come a long way in a short space of time, but what's really driving its growth?
This week on The Beer Rep Chats With, I'm joined by Sam, founder of We Can Be Friends, one of the UK's few breweries dedicated solely to alcohol-free beer.
We dive into Sam's journey from production brewer to launching an alcohol-free beer brand, why collaborations have played such a huge role in its success, and how breweries are changing the way they approach low and no alcohol brewing.
We also discuss why alcohol-free beer isn't as cheap to produce as many people think, the brewing techniques involved, the challenges of creating great body and flavour, and why more independent breweries are adding alcohol-free options to their core range.
If you're curious about the future of alcohol-free beer, enjoy craft beer, or simply want to understand what goes into producing a great alcohol-free pint, this episode is packed with insight.
If you enjoy the episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share it with another beer lover, it really helps the podcast grow.
This week on The Beer Rep Chats With, I'm joined by Kuba Zaleski, brewer at 3 Locks Brewing, to explore his journey from homebrewing to crafting award-worthy beers beside London's iconic Regent's Canal.
We discuss how a chance encounter with a bottle of Hobgoblin sparked a brewing career, and why great brewing is about far more than just recipes. Kuba shares his passion for traditional European beer styles, including the brewery's much loved Schwarzbier, German-style Pilsner, and seasonal Vienna Lager.
We also dive into brewing science, recipe development, fermentation techniques, sour beer acidity, and the challenges of creating unique beers such as a hibiscus and rose petal Gose. Along the way, Kuba explains why lager is enjoying a renaissance in craft beer, how Camden's international visitors influence the beers brewed at 3 Locks, and what the future holds for the brewery, including a rebrand, expanded capacity, and new taproom developments.
If you're interested in craft beer, lager brewing, brewery growth, recipe design, fermentation, beer styles, or the evolving UK beer scene, this episode is packed with insights from one of London's most thoughtful brewers.
This week on The Beer Rep Chats With, I'm joined by Ryan Dack, General Manager of Vibrant Forest Brewery.
We dive into the brewery's 15-year journey from a garage brewing project to one of the UK's most respected independent breweries. Ryan shares the story behind their iconic Pupa Pale Ale, how the brewery has adapted through changing beer trends, the importance of collaboration in the independent beer scene, and why community remains at the heart of everything they do.
We also chat about taprooms, beer styles making a comeback, lessons learned from opening and closing a high street venue, and what the future holds for Vibrant Forest as they celebrate their milestone anniversary.
12:49 - 18:39 Lessons Learned from the Vibrant Tap
18:40 - 23:06 The Popularity of Pupa
23:07 - 25:25 The Southampton Beer Scene
25:26 - 31:33 Building Connections in the Brewing Community
31:34 - 37:04 Future Collaborations
It’s Craft, Not Daft. Todd Fullarton on Building Wilful Beer
Episode 28
Monday, May 25, 2026 • Duration 44:45
This week on The Beer Rep Chats With, I’m joined by Todd Fullarton of Wilful Beer, one of the UK craft beer scene’s fastest rising breweries and multiple gold medal winners at BeerX and Maltings Fest.
We dive into Todd’s journey from TQ Beer Works to launching Wilful Beer in 2024, why modern West Coast IPA deserves more attention in the UK, and how the brewery built such a strong identity from day one. We also discuss hop saturation, advanced hop products, cask vs keg, the state of UK craft beer, and why Todd believes “it’s craft, not daft.”
Expect plenty of brewing geekery, honest opinions on hazy IPA culture, and insight into what it really takes to run an award-winning independent brewery in today’s beer industry.
If you enjoy conversations about craft beer, independent breweries, brewing techniques, and the UK beer scene, make sure to subscribe and leave a review.
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We finish by talking about Hexagon Strategy, John's new venture helping breweries and hospitality businesses make better decisions using the experience he has gained from founding, scaling and running businesses in the industry.
And perhaps most importantly, John explains why great pubs and bars matter far beyond selling beer, describing them as part of the social glue of a community.
If you're interested in the history of UK craft beer, independent breweries, hospitality, brewery business advice or the real challenges of growing a beer business, there's plenty to take from this conversation.
George also discusses one of the most fascinating projects in the brewery's history: Ambassador, a Burton-inspired best bitter that led to an 18-month research project involving historic bottles of Bass, Allsopp and other Burton beers and an attempt to recover historic brewing yeast.
The conversation also explores the challenges facing independent breweries in Cornwall, including tied pubs, limited freehouses, seasonality and the difficulty of getting beer into the local market.
