James Kemp has joined the Great British Drinks Company as its new production director.

Kemp joins the business, which is the owner of Black Sheep Brewery and Purity Brewing Co, with experience from BrewDog alongside previous roles at Thornbridge, Buxton, Yeastie Boys and Hawkshead.

In his new role, Kemp will focus on production across Great British Drinks Company’s brewery estate, with a particular focus on Black Sheep Brewery.

His brief is to strengthen operational efficiency and capability, ensuring the business is in the strongest possible position to pursue high-volume opportunities across the on and off-trade into 2027.

Kemp’s appointment follows that of Lee Payne as head of on-trade, Rob Cooper taking the helm as head of off-trade, with Paul Brazier appointed head of marketing, as the business prepares for sustainable growth across its portfolio of heritage and contemporary beer brands.

Dom Metcalfe, managing director at Great British Drinks Company, said: “James has seriously impressive brewing experience, across some of the best-known names in British brewing.

“At Great British Drinks company, we have strong brands with loyal fans, and this appointment gives us the expertise to take on big on and off-trade opportunities.

“He has the knowledge to make great beers at scale with maximum efficiency and that’s exactly what we need as we restore revenue and prepare to revitalise growth.”

Kemp, production director at Great British Drinks Company, added: “We have an exceptional collection of beer brands, my role is to ensure we deliver the best quality beer with a real focus on ingredients and innovation.

“There is an abundance of talent across our brewing sites, and I look forward working with Dom and the wider team.”