The Brewers Lectures is a series of live events from the Brewers Journal. The half day lectures give a platform to six speakers to inspire change, generate discussion and share brewing expertise.
The lectures are hosted five times a year cross the UK and Ireland.
Full details of each lecture will be released in the run up to the day. Scroll down for upcoming events.
NEWCASTLE, 9 AUGUST 2023
The Venue
The Common Room
Neville Hall,
Westgate Road,
Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 1SE
The Time
9 August 2023
12:30 – 17:00
The Sponsors
The Speakers
Virginia Cassadio | Lost and Grounded
Virginia hails from Ravenna, Italy and spent her early years studying art and design. After experimenting with home brewing, she said “Forget art, let’s brew some beer!” Virginia attended DIEFFE in Padova where she received a brewing qualification. Her brewing journey began at Moor Beer Co. before joining Newtown Park Brewing as Head Brewer. In 2023, she joined Lost & Grounded Brewers. In the same year, she made the Young Brewer of the Year shortlist at the Brewers Choice Awards. Virginia enjoys being part of a fantastic team that brews world-class lagers and ales, all under the watchful eye of a Krones brewhouse.
Will Hartley |
St Austell
Will Hartley is the Production Manager at Hare Brewery, leading the team responsible for making around 75,000 hectolitres of beer each year in a modern, small-pack focused brewery. He joined the industry in 2012 as the first employee at Wiper and True, becoming their first Head Brewer. In 2019 he left to work as an independent consultant, which saw him carrying out Head Brewer roles in breweries in Sussex. Will has a diploma in brewing with the IBD, and is now working towards his Master Brewer qualification. Since joining St Austell in 2021, Will has overseen a new canning line install, has helped drive improvements in sustainability, and has developed his management and leadership skills through internal and external training programs.
Tim O’Rourke |
The Brilliant Beer Company
Tim O’Rourke is a Master Brewer with over 35 years experience. He has been involved in the international brewing industry in a wide range of capacities, his expertise covers product and business development, marketing and promotion. For the past 20 years Tim has run The Brilliant Beer Company, a Technical Training & Brewing Consultancy, providing technical support and training for breweries. International clients include Heineken, Coors, Carlsberg, AB Inbev, Diageo as well as smaller craft brewers throughout the world. In 2013 the Brilliant Beer College was launched to facilitate this industry training.
Ali Ross | The Coach and Horses
Ali Ross is the general manager at The Coach and Horses in Soho, London. Ali is a revered and highly-regarded part of the capital’s hospitality scene, who took over running the Greek Street establishment in 2019. Under her guidance, Ali has has turned The Coach and Horses into one of the UK’s most celebrated and popular spots with The Evening Standard also placing it Number One in its 2023 run-down of London’s best pubs. Before The Coach and Horses, Ali worked for some of Fuller’s biggest and busiest London pubs, including The Hydrant, The Vintry and The Merchant, taking them from strength to strength. A champion of excellent breweries from across the UK and beyond, Ali has ensured there’s no shortage of brilliant beer in one of London’s busiest, vibrant areas. She has also built up a formidable team with customers coming back time and time again.
Colin Stronge | Lost Cause Brewing Co
Known globally, Colin Stronge has a track record that includes stints at renowned breweries Buxton Brewing Co, Black Isle, Marble Beers and Salt Beer Factory. He was also crowned Brewer of the Year 2022 by The Brewers Journal, and is celebrated for his unwavering commitment to quality and creativity. He has been a pillar of the UK beer scene for nearly 20 years, inventing beer styles, pioneering the way for new breweries, dishing out advice, support and encouragement to new/existing brewers and being an excellent all-around brewer and human being.
Vik Kastenbauer Stronge | Lost Cause Brewing Co
Vik is the co-founder of Lost Cause Brewing Co and the senior brand manager at In Good Company Brewing. Vik's professional approach is deeply rooted in a passion for blending creative storytelling with empathetic communication to enhance brand experiences. She see branding as a journey that transcends mere products or logos, focusing instead on crafting compelling narratives that forge authentic connections and genuinely engage audiences.
Mark Tranter | Burning Sky
Mark Tranter is the founder of Burning Sky. The 'Brewer of The Year' at our Brewers Choice Awards in 2023, Mark and his team are known and respected for creating world-class beers. Burning Sky is a brewers dream. The dream of a long term brewer with a love of both punchy hop forward pales and of the beautiful Belgian beer tradition. A brewers brewery.
Owen Turner | United By Design
Owen Turner is the founder and MD of United by Design. United by Design is a multi-disciplinary team with years of experience in design, working across a range of sectors with their core team and collaborating with skilled freelancers to support the breadth of their services. United by Design was founded with the vision to bring brilliant creatives and strategists together with ambitious businesses to do imaginative things. And it works -beautifully. Everyone at UBD knows that working with clients, rather than for clients, is the best approach. Along with a positive mindset. This ethos means they love what they do, unravelling business complexity to create standout brands that go the distance. Even in today’s challenging commercial landscape.
Become a speaker
The Brewers Lectures are built on giving professionals from in-and-around the world of beer a platform to share their knowledge, expertise and experiences.
You might have grown and expanded your brewery, undertaken a successful rebrand, or built a fantastic team of talented individuals.
You might have some best-practice tips for dry-hopping, effective ideas on yeast pitching or wise words on water treatment.
The Brewers Lectures are designed to enable knowledge-sharing and to help ensure we create a better industry as a result. Do you have a burning idea or talk topic you want to share with the world? Then get in touch with our editor Tim Sheahan at tim@reby.media and we can hopefully have you take part in one of our future events!