Hop Forward: Getting You Ahead in the Brewing and Beer Business

Established in 2011 by General Manager and Brewster Claire Monk, Welbeck Abbey Brewery is situated on the Welbeck Abbey Estate.  Founded as a Premonstratensian monastery in 1153, after the Dissolution, the Abbey was bought by Bess of Hardwick's youngest son, Sir Charles Cavendish.As with many country estates, over time, the house and grounds have become a popular tourist attraction, pulling in crowds of people for a quintessentially English spot of afternoon tea and a gentle potter around.  Situated to the rear of the sprawling buildings, you'll find Welbeck Abbey Brewery, set in the heart of an artisan estate-village that produces specialist foods and crafts in a beautiful rural setting. Producing hand crafted ales using the estate’s own spring water and a unique strain of nurtured yeast, the brewery now produces over 17,000 pints of award-winning ales each week, which they supply to local pubs, restaurants, and specialist bottle shops across the region and beyond.In this episode of the Hop Forward Podcast, we talk about the power of place with Claire and how they've built the brewery brand and marketing around the story of the abbey estate, while remaining relevant to drinkers in both the beer and pub space, as well as tourists who don't know the difference between an ale and a lager.We also chat about how swathes of people leaving the hospitality industry are leading to pub closures and how breweries finding it difficult to attract new talent onto their teams.Also on this episode, Nick catches up with David Griggs, Technical Director from Crisp Malt, to discuss malt consistency and the steps brewers can take in the brewhouse before blaming their barley!THIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Charles Faram & Co (charlesfaram.com)Supplying hops for over 150 years, Charles Faram offers a vast range of nitrogen-flushed hop varieties from the UK, Europe, New Zealand, and the USA.Crisp Malt (crispmalt.com)Since 1870, Crisp has blended tradition with innovation, producing malts like Chevallier Heritage and Clear Choice Malt.FOLLOW HOP FORWARDhopforward.beer | LinkedIn | BlueSky | Instagram

How many grams per litre of dry-hopping creates those big juice DIPA flavours?  What cereal should we use to create a self-stable haze?  What are the correct additives and E-numbers that will give us the right hue to our teal coloured slush-puppy sour...?  These questions are great but unless we dig deeper to unearth how we can grow our raw ingredients in unfavourable conditions, then perhaps synthetic-coloured beers are all we can look to in a dystopian future where smoothie-sours are the norm.In this episode, we explore why agricultural research is imperative for the future of brewing.  Specifically looking at hops, Nick hosts a round table discussion with Will Rogers from Charles Faram, Duncan Westbury - Dean of Land and Property Management at the Royal Agricultural University - and Scientific Researcher, Josh Brett to answer this question.THIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Charles Faram & Co (charlesfaram.com)Supplying hops for over 150 years, Charles Faram offers a vast range of nitrogen-flushed hop varieties from the UK, Europe, New Zealand, and the USA.Crisp Malt (crispmalt.com)Since 1870, Crisp has blended tradition with innovation, producing malts like Chevallier Heritage and Clear Choice Malt.FOLLOW HOP FORWARDhopforward.beer | LinkedIn | BlueSky | Instagram

In this episode, Nick sits down with Dean & Jill Baker, the husband-and-wife team behind Bakers Dozen Brewing.  Based in Rutland, the smallest county in the UK, the Bakers have built a lifestyle business from scratch — just the two of them — while balancing the headaches of running a brewery while keeping their relationship sweet.Once landlords of The Jolly Brewer in Stamford, the Bakers share how they cleared out the drug dealers and bad curtains from their pub and turning it into one of the market-town's favourite public houses, before tiring of being landlords and exchanging and beer-engines for mash paddles.Over the course of this conversation, we dig into what it really takes to run a two-person brewery, how they've won national awards like SIBA Golds for Undertow and Bull Run despite being small, and share their insights on running a marriage and a business together.Nick also shares his views on how bucket hats have brought more people out drinking this summer.  Also, stick around right to the very end as Dean & Jill contend with what their correct email address is...!FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BAKERS DOZENBUY THE BEER | TRADE INFOTHIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Charles Faram & Co (charlesfaram.com)Supplying hops for over 150 years, Charles Faram offers a vast range of nitrogen-flushed hop varieties from the UK, Europe, New Zealand, and the USA.Crisp Malt (crispmalt.com)Since 1870, Crisp has blended tradition with innovation, producing malts like Chevallier Heritage and Clear Choice Malt.FOLLOW HOP FORWARDhopforward.beer | LinkedIn | BlueSky | Instagram

On the podcast this week, Nick takes us on a roving audio tour of SIBA Beer X—the UK’s largest brewing trade show—capturing raw, on-the-ground insights straight from the tradeshow floor.Armed with a microphone and plenty of curiosity, Nick chats with a cross-section of UK brewery owners, brewers, and industry folks to ask two simple but telling questions: Where are the biggest opportunities in beer right now? And what’s the greatest challenge facing the industry?From Twice Brewed in Northumberland to The Driftwood Spars on the Cornish coast, the conversation quickly reveals patterns—especially around the rise of alcohol-free beers. Brewers from Wiper & True and Utopian Brewing reflect on the practical and commercial benefits of brewing 0.5% ABV, while others highlight the increasing need to stand out with unique brand stories and community-led initiatives.Nick also speaks with Laura from Abbeydale Brewery and Catherine from Attic Brew Co. about how breweries can differentiate themselves through values, storytelling, and local engagement.The episode also explores cross-category innovation, including a conversation with a craft distiller offering contract services to breweries looking to diversify into spirits. And there’s a catch-up with Broadtown Brewery—whose founder left a career in railway engineering to follow his passion for beer and pubs - and Combie from Round Corner Brewing on their decision to embrace cask beer.While some of the best conversations were, frustratingly, never recorded (🫣 sorry Black Iris), this episode paints a vivid picture of an industry in flux: one that’s maturing, professionalising, and finding resilience amid rising costs, closures, and shifting consumer tastes.Nick closes with a personal reflection on the current state of beer in the UK—acknowledging the fatigue many are feeling while pointing to the passion, grit, and love of beer and community that still fuels the sector.THIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Charles Faram & Co (charlesfaram.com)Supplying hops for over 150 years, Charles Faram offers a vast range of nitrogen-flushed hop varieties from the UK, Europe, New Zealand, and the USA.Crisp Malt (crispmalt.com)Since 1870, Crisp has blended tradition with innovation, producing malts like Chevallier Heritage and Clear Choice Malt.FOLLOW HOP FORWARDhopforward.beer | LinkedIn | BlueSky | Instagram

On the podcast this week, Nick is joined by Craig Thomas, National Account Manager at Abstrax, to take a deep dive into the science, story, and serious hop chemistry behind their innovative hop products—used by some of the most respected brewers in the industry.Craig shares insights into how Abstrax uses cutting-edge technology to isolate and recreate the essential oils and aroma compounds that give beer its characteristic punch and complexity—providing brewers with another layer of precision and creativity.Following this, Nick sits down with Julian Shrago, co-owner and brewmaster of the legendary Beachwood Brewing in Long Beach, California. Together, they talk about how Abstrax fits into the flavour profile of West Coast IPAs and the delicate balance between tradition and technical innovation.The conversation broadens as they explore the current state of the US beer scene—its trends, tensions, and opportunities—and why, sometimes, moving house and judging beer might just be the same thing after all...👉 Learn more about Abstrax: www.abstraxhops.com 👉 Discover Beachwood Brewing: www.beachwoodbrewing.comPlease note: Abstrax have in no way sponsored or endorsed this episode—this is purely a conversation around innovation, aroma, and application.THIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:Charles Faram & Co (charlesfaram.com)Supplying hops for over 150 years, Charles Faram offers a vast range of nitrogen-flushed hop varieties from the UK, Europe, New Zealand, and the USA.Crisp Malt (crispmalt.com)Since 1870, Crisp has blended tradition with innovation, producing malts like Chevallier Heritage and Clear Choice Malt.FOLLOW HOP FORWARDhopforward.beer | LinkedIn | BlueSky | Instagram