Congress Speakers – The Brewers Journal

speaker line up

The full speaker line up will be announced in the run up to the event.

Matt Curtis, Author and Consultant

“Matthew Curtis is a writer and photographer obsessed with beer, pubs and their culture. Based in Manchester, he’s the co-founder of Pellicle Magazine and the author of three books on beer and pub culture within the UK, including the award-winning Manchester’s Best Beer Pubs and Bars.”

Abbie Gadd, Wye Valley Brewery

Amelie Tassin is the founder and director of Tipple Marketing, a marketing and strategy agency based in Edinburgh, Scotland. With over 15 years’ experience, Amelie has worked across several European sectors from retail banking and property development to cosmetics and food and drink. Her agency’s work is truly ‘the Swiss Army knife of marketing’ and offers tailored services for all needs thanks to Amelie’s wealth of cross-industry experience. In 2018 she founded Women In Beer, a ‘women who beer’ group in Edinburgh, in 2019 the successful Women In Beer Festival (WIB Fest), a celebration of women in the industry with an impressive roster of events including tap takeovers, talks, and tastings.

Jack Granger, Left Handed Giant

Alex Greig, Fuggles Beer Cafe

Amy Haselden, Track Brewing Co

Alex Kerr, Two Flints

Alex Lawes, Whiplash

Florian Lehnhardt, Research Center Weihenstephan

Florian Lehnhardt studied food chemistry at the Technical University of Munich from 2011 to 2016, including a 6-month research stay at the National University of Singapore. Subsequently, he pursued his doctorate from 2016 to 2021 at the Chair of Brewing and Beverage Technology at TUM, completing it in 2022. As part of his doctoral research in the Raw Materials-Oriented Brewing and Beverage Technology research group, he focused on aroma-active substances in aged beer, their precursor compounds, and alternative prediction methods for the aging instability of pale lagers. Additionally, he led the sensory laboratory of the chair from 2018 to 2021. Since 2022, he has been working as the Head of the Department of Instrumental Analysis at the Research Center Weihenstephan for Brewing and Food Quality at TUM.

Ben Lockwood, Mitchells & Butlers

With over 20 years industry experience, Ben has worked for craft beer giants BrewDog, from 2019 to 2024, and prior to that was at Mitchells and Butlers across Operations, Marketing and Procurement for more than 12 years, returning recently to work in the Beer Category team. Ben has been responsible for launching industry-leading NPD, events and activations, driving significant interest, growth and innovation in the beer category with breweries of all sizes’.

William Mayne, Bullhouse Brew Co

William Mayne is the Founder and Managing Director of Bullhouse Brew Co, a multi-award winning brewery in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Bullhouse opened Belfast’s first permanent brewery taproom (Bullhouse East) in June 2022, a pivotal moment of change in the local beer industry. Bullhouse now sells their beer throughout Northern Ireland, GB, the Republic of Ireland, France, Italy and the Netherlands and employ 26 people across the brewery and taproom, Bullhouse East (awarded Best Craft Beer Bar (City) in the UK 2023 and 2025 at the SIBA Business Awards). Bullhouse have also been named Best Drinks Producer in the UK (2024) at the BBC Food and Farming Awards as well as Best Brewery Business at the SIBA Business Awards 2025, among other awards.

Stefan Melbourne, Track Brewing Co

Angus Morison, Vault City

Chris Pilkington, Tuletorn Brewing

Amelie Tassin, Tipple Marketing

Jack Walker, Azvex Brewing Company

Bart Wellens, Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle, Belgium

Since October 2021, Bart has served as Commercial Director at Trappist Brewery Westmalle. Leading a dedicated team across Sales, Marketing, and Logistics, his focus is on keeping this exceptional, authentic brand relevant in a fast-changing world—without ever compromising its soul. They don’t do traditional marketing; instead, they work with care and creativity, always respecting the unique DNA of Westmalle.

Recent initiatives include the launch of the Westmalle Extra Glass (June 2024), our very first Open Brewery Days in 230 years (September 2024), and the introduction of Westmalle Duo, their first blonde Trappist beer on tap (March 2025).

schedule at a glance

23 September

13.00 Exhibition opens & beer tasting begins
14:00 Keynote address and lectures begin
16:30 Lectures end
17:00 Beer tasting ends
17.00 Full access ticket holders only
17.00 Brewers Choice Awards Party begins
22:00 Day One ends

24 September

10:00 Exhibition opens
10.30 Lectures begin & beer tasting begins
17:30 Lectures end
18:30 Exhibition closes
18:30 Day Two ends
19:00 Exhibitor breakdown
22:00 Breakdown ends

schedule

23 September 2024

EXHIBITION
09:00	Exhibitor early access
13:00	Exhibition & beer tasting opens

TIME	LECTURE STAGE	DISRUPTER STAGE
13:50	Welcome address Tim Sheahan Editor of the Brewers Journal
14:00	Keynote address David Gluckman David Gluckman was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa on 1st November 1938, the day Sea Biscuit and War Admiral fought out the race of the century at Pimlico Park, Baltimore. Educated in Johannesburg, he joined a local advertising agency after university and soon fell in love with the business. He made the pilgrimage to London in 1961 and worked as an account executive on Procter & Gamble, Kerrygold, Lyons teas and several Unilever accounts. Always a frustrated copywriter, he escaped into product development in 1969, met a man from IDV and his life changed forever. The author of “That s*it will never sell!” David also helped create Bailey’s Irish Cream. During its time, it has sold billions of bottles across 160 countries with 220 million litres of fresh, Irish cream consumed annually. He’ll share his expertise on creating global brands, on how to keep faith and how to earn valuable buy-in when doubters pour scorn on your creativity.
14:30		Homebrew to pro Host: Andy Parker, Elusive Brewing; Luci Clayton-Jones, Double-Barrelled; Joanna Neale, The Malt Miller; Johnny Horn, Holy Goat Brewing Making the jump from homebrewing to professional – Leading advice from those that have been there and done that.
15:00	Brewing to style: Lager 101 Host: Radim Zvánovec, Budvar – Panelists: Laurence Brown, Lost and Grounded Brewers; Virginia Casadio, Duration Brewing, Vinny Rosario, Moonwake Beer Co; Jeremy Swainson, Utopian Brewing Best practice and guidance in lager brewing from some of the leaders in the field	Is Sustainable Packaging actually Possible? Host: Chris Lewington – Panelists: Mikhail Zelianouski, MyKegs A look at the common (mis)conceptions on packaging and how it can’t be sustainable.
15:30	Forging Your Own Path Mark Tranter, Burning Sky Mark will share the lessons learned in a career in beer from a brewery founder. Mark explains why Burning Sky’s rural location in Firle, East Sussex has both pros and cons, the development of their mixed fermentation offering and why when it comes to business, it’s important to understand that everyone’s aims and ambitions are different.	Decarbonising Energy in Breweries Panelists: James Fawcett, Thomas Fawcett; Dr Thomas Fudge, WASE; Chris Lewington, Brew Resourceful; George Wade, Zevero We delve into the current state of the energy market from a sustainability point of view, and look at the best current and future options to decarbonise.
16:00	Engage the Fine-Dining Sector Jorma Tikkanen, Do Good Brew Creating beers for fine-dining. Hear from a brewery co-founder that is creating food-pairing beers for Michelin-starred restaurants, and how you can do it too	Leveraging Digital Transformation Host: Melissa Cole -Panelists: Christian Barden, Konvoy; Rob Hollands, Proofworks; Kevin Smith, Made Smarter Demystifying digital transformation. What is digital transformation and how your manufacturing business can secure success from it.

EXHIBITION
16:30	Lectures end
17:00	Full Access Tickets only
17:00	Brewers Choice Awards and celebration begins
22:00	Brewers Choice Awards and celebration ends

24 September 2024

EXHIBITION
09:00	Exhibitor early access
10:00	Exhibition opens

TIME	LECTURE STAGE	DISRUPTER STAGE
10:20	Welcome address Tim Sheahan Editor of the Brewers Journal
10:30	Keynote address Philip Eeles, Honest Burgers Building a business, a team and the lessons learned along the way from the co-founder of one of Britain’s most well-known burger restaurants
11:00	Developing healthy – and tasty – beers Maria Paredes Ramos, Hijos de Rivera SAU A computational approach in the craft beer world. A review of work centred on being able design a la carte flavour profiles, incorporating those molecules that maintain consumers wellbeing but also show organoleptic attributes that improve taste perception.	No and Low: The Future Host: Melissa Cole – Panelists: Daniel Rowntree, High and Dry; Caitlín McErlean, Cloudwater; Oli Russell-Cowan; Liquid Death; Johnny Clayton, Big Drop How businesses can grasp the opportunities in a world away from alcohol.
11:30	Brewing with Kveik Todd M. Isbell, International Centre for Brewing Science An insight into the fermentation management, performance, and flavour expression of traditional Norwegian Landrace Yeast (Kveik)	Self Sufficiency in the Brewery Host: Chris Lewington, Brew Resourceful. Panelists: Faye Restall, Earthly Labs; Craig Smith, Pneumatech How you can become self sufficient when it comes to using gas in the brewery.
12:00	Relevance of hop terroir for beer flavour Ann Van Holle, head of R&D, Proefbrouwerij Not only variety but also ‘terroir’ may have a significant impact on the biochemical and brewing characteristics of hops and, consequently, on the resulting beer flavour profile. These insights may allow brewers to account for the potential impact of hop terroir on the consistency and quality of their beers, while it may open perspectives for subtle diversification in beer flavour profiles..	Session: On-flavour Masterclass Host: Natalya Watson, IBD Beer Sommelier, Advanced Cicerone® and WSET beer educator Natayla Watson, WSET beer educator, will explore the world of ‘on-flavours’. Join us and build your confidence in identifying and describing different aromas.
12:30	The survival of pathogens in non-alcoholic beers Dr Grzegorz Rachon, Campden BRI The outcome of two years of research into the survival of pathogens in non-alcoholic beers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of pathogens in British and worldwide non-alcoholic beers available on the UK market, and to determine whether pathogens can survive or grow in non-alcoholic beers, and to determine the impact of pH and bitterness on their growth and survival patterns..	Sustainable Fermentation Speaker: Jassa Amir-Lang, co-founder, Frigid.Cloud The state of play in the energy crisis and how to adopt a sustainable approach to fermentation and refrigeration.
13:00	Lunch break	Lunch break
13:30	Maintaining Quality During Expansion Eloise Perkins, Quality Manager, Northern Monk Maintaining quality during expansion: Northern Monk is the fastest growing craft brewery in the UK off-trade. Here is how they ensure quality remains paramount during growth.	Brewing Law Daniel Finn, Legal Director, Brabners The legal changes and potential pitfalls every brewery must be aware of.
14:00	A Life in Lambic Thomas Vandelanotte, Head Brewer, Timmermans A dive into the wonderful world of yeasts that occur in the lambic world and what their specific contribution is to a traditional lambic.	Hops, Haze and your Beer Host: Melissa Cole – Panelists: Brett Ellis; Sophie De Ronde, Burnt Mill; Gareth Moore, Deya; Colin Stronge, Lost Cause Brewing Co. Best practice and guidance in hop-forward beer brewing from some of the leaders in the field.
14:30	Charting the Evolution of a Beer Brand Nick Dwyer, Creative Director, Beavertown Nick Dwyer is the creative director at Beavertown. An award-winning graphic designer and illustrator, He is responsible for Beavertown’s iconic designs and will reflect on their evolution from the early days to the here and now.	The Craft of Cask Host: John Keeling – Panelists: Derek Prentice, Henry Kirk Where Cask beer goes from here. How we can ensure it will not only survive, but thrive in the future.
15:00	Social Media Secrets Host: Tim Sheahan – Panelists: Sienna O’ Rourke, Pressure Drop; Richard Wardrop, Vault City; Amelie Tassin, Tipple Marketing; Tanith West, Toast Hospitality How you can boost your visibility, and your sales with effective and impactful marketing techniques.	Session: Off-flavour Masterclass Hosts: Tim O’Rourke, The Brilliant Beer Company/Brewers Journal, Tom Brown, Head of Global Marketing & Strategy, FlavorActiv Learn more about off flavours with this in-depth, off-flavour training course. Duration: 60 mins To register, please email: tom.brown@flavoractiv.com
15:30	The Heart of The Community Host: Paul Davies – Panelists: Anthony Adedeipe, Eko Brewery, Kateřina Türková, Beak, Miranda Hudson, Duration, Tom Fozard, Rooster’s Brewing Co, Jez Galaun, Brixton Brewery The heart of the community: How your brewery can be a focal point of your community and drive direct sales in the process – Ways to achieve it from those already doing it.
16:00	Closing Remarks

EXHIBITION
17:00	Lectures end
18:30	Brewers Congress 2024 ends

BACK TO THE BDC

The Brewers Congress is returning to the heart of central London at the Business Design Centre for another year. Over 2,500 square metres of space to entertain, educate and celebrate the very best of British brewing

Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London, N1 0QH

You’ll find the Business Design Centre right in the beating heart of Islington, with excellent public transport links to Central London and national destinations. You can easily reach the BDC via bus, London Underground and Overground and we’re a short walk from National Rail stations at Kings Cross and St Pancras International.

There is a secure, 250-space car park on-site. If you’re driving to the Business Design Centre, make sure you pre-book your space to avoid disappointment.

Satnav location: N1 0PW

GET YOUR TICKETS

£ 39 inc VAT

BREWERS CONGRESS
Two-day access to lectures
Two-day access to exhibition
Unlimited beer tasting
BREWERS CHOICE AWARDS & PARTY
Street food & beer
Live music

£ 159 inc VAT

BREWERS CONGRESS
Two-day access to lectures
Two-day access to exhibition
Unlimited beer tasting
BREWERS CHOICE AWARDS & PARTY
Street food & beer
Live music

£ 59 inc VAT

BREWERS CONGRESS
Two-day access to lectures
Two-day access to exhibition
Unlimited beer tasting
BREWERS CHOICE AWARDS & PARTY
Street food & beer
Live music

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