John Keeling has brewed many beers and visited countless countries during his career in beer. But for John, the most valuable asset has been the friends he has made along the way. 

Friends and family are the most important things about life. I was particularly blessed to work for a company like Fuller’s, which really generated a family-like atmosphere in the business. 

Why did I start the article like this? Because last night there was a Fuller’s reunion party and I was not invited. In fact, I was told that under no circumstances could I attend. Well, it was a Fuller’s ladies reunion night!

Symone, my partner, was of course invited. She actually was one of the main instigators. The event was held at the Hydrant, which is located next to the Monument in London. Among the invitees were Georgina Young, my old brewing co-conspirator from Fuller’s and now brewing director at St Austell.

Georgina now lives in Bath, so we asked her to stay in our spare room which she gratefully accepted. I managed to get all my brewing awards arranged on the bookcases in the room just before she arrived. I thought that was a nice touch. It was delightful to chew the fat with her and hear all the new stuff about the industry I love, particularly the part I worked in – The Family Brewers.

I remember reading that Napoleon always wanted lucky generals. Well, as a head brewer I always wanted to surround myself with good brewers and I was lucky enough to do this. Starting when I joined Fuller’s to work for the then head brewer Reg Drury. At my level though it was Brendan Bray, Joe Barima and Geoff Warrington who carried me in those days. Then when I became head brewer, my first decision was to hire Georgina.

Now in many ways she is opposite to me, she is hardworking, good on detail, great on the science and controls her temper. An ideal person I thought to carry me in the next stage of my career. Later, I was fortunate to work with Derek Prentice who is a brewing legend. But it is always the supervisors and those on shop floor who really do the work.

“I managed to get all my brewing awards arranged on the bookcases in the room just before she arrived. I thought that was a nice touch.”

John Keeling

Many people who have worked in other industries have said to me that the brewing industry is the friendliest industry. I have never worked anywhere else so who am I to pass judgement on this. However, how many industries have the equivalent of the head brewers group where we got together to pass on tips for solving brewing problems and visit each other’s breweries and socialise?

How many would have an organisation like the old Brewers Guild whose must important work (in my opinion, of course) was to organise social events for brewers? I myself was social secretary for the London Section of the Guild and organised many a boat trip upon the Thames. I made many lifelong friends by being on that committee.

I now sit on the advisory board for Heriot-Watt University and have made good friends there, too. There is an annual reunion dinner for former Heriot-Watt brewers held usually every year in Edinburgh in February or March. Unfortunately, COVID did interfere, and we had no dinner for two years, so the decision was made to hold a dinner in May. I did attend the dinner at the Royal Scots Club, where there was about 40 people in attendance.

Usually, we get around 80 but I think it was a good decision to hold an event after such an hiatus. However, there was at least 10 students in attendance all of whom seemed twice as knowledgeable as I was way back in the seventies. So, the industry is still in good hands

So, if you can measure your career in terms of the friends you have made, rather than the awards you get, then I have had a truly great career.