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

This episode marks a turning point for the Hop Forward Podcast as it will be the last episode of the show before we go on hiatus (or a 'hop rest' as we prefer to call it) for a while.  In this episode, Nick shares his reasons why he's taking some time away from the show.Following this introspection, he dives into a compelling beer conversation with Cameron Brown, the co-founde

On the podcast this week, Nick is joined by Chris Terry from 86 Carbon to talk about the impacts of climate change on the brewing and hospitality industry and explore ways to make your business more sustainable and eco-friendly.86 Carbon specialise in Accredited Carbon Literacy training, which leads to an understanding of how climate change will affect individuals and the industry

Without marketing you may have a flagship beer that no one will ever taste.  Marketing is one the most important aspects of your business that often gets overlooked or is grossly misunderstood as merely posting a few images to social media and watching the sales come flooding in.But in a crowded beer market, how should we be marketing our breweries, bars, bottle shops and bran

On this episode of the Hop Forward Podcast, we delve into the often-overlooked art of selling craft beer.  While we've covered a wide range of brewing topics in the past, it's time to explore the other crucial half of the beer industry: sales. We examine the challenges of selling beer and the importance of building trust and relationships with customers.  Featuring the in

On the Hop Forward Podcast this week, we take a trip to Gritchie Brewing Company: a 'beer farm' located on the Ashcombe Estate near Shaftesbury, owned by acclaimed screenwriter, producer and director Guy Ritchie.Drawing from the land that surrounds the farm, their 20BBL brewhouse sits within rustic stone-built barns, overlooking expansive fields where their own Maris Otter barley i

On the podcast this week, we're joined by Andy from Ampersand Brew Co, based in Diss, Norfolk (UK). Started by a family team of Amy, Andy & Adrian Hipwell in a converted barn on the family farm, the team have now expanded and moved to our current site in Diss.  Their bespoke brewhouse, designed and fabricated to their own unique set up and specification was specifical

On the Hop Forward Podcast this week, Nick & Sean share their Fermenting Thoughts on all things packaging and sustainability.  We discuss everything from the logistics of kegs, supporting venues, the value of cask beer and how simple design elements, such as texture on a label or point-of-sale material - when done properly - can make the difference.THE HOP FORWARD PODCAST

In this episode of the Hop Forward Podcast, Nick chats with Topher Boehm, co-founder of Australia's Wildflower Brewing & Blending.  We discuss everything from how climate change is impacting beer production and Topher's views on terroir and terminology in beer, after reading an article published by Pelicile Magazine recently titled There is No Such Thing as Terroir in Beer

Nick and Sean's Fermenting Thoughts this week look at the current state of the brewing and hospitality industry across the UK and how some businesses are struggling to survive, while others have come out of the pandemic and are thriving.  We explore some of the reasons why this is the case and take a look at some of the things that all businesses can do to ensure they stay lea

Beverage can painting has been around since the 1930s but due to the intensive offset lithography process, a common method for printing on aluminium packaging, microbrewers have had to sell massive quantities of cans to justify the cost.Historically, the process has involved prepress preparation of the artwork, followed by the creation of separate printing plates for each colour us