2025 has been one of loss and of change for John Keeling. And it’s helped in reflect on how work, and life, changes through the years.

In my time as a member of the brewing world I have had numerous discussions with fellow brewers about the ‘Golden Age of Brewing’.

It’s important to note that this is distinct from the ‘Golden Age of Drinking’. I believe there are two drinking golden ages.

The first is when when you are young and have no responsibilities and also when you are old and have no responsibilities left. I am currently in the second of these.

Each brewing generation claims to be in a golden age, or more accurately at the end of the golden age. The number of times a brewer has said to me that we have seen the best of it are too numerous to mention.

Why do they say this?

Usually, they are near the end of their career and view the past through rose-tinted glasses. They don’t like the changes that have challenged them at the end of their career.

At this moment in time, I am in a reflective mood. This is because in the last few months I have lost two friends from the industry who were great influences on my life.

I first met James Fawcett when I took over malt buying from Reg Drury, my predecessor as head brewer at Fuller’s.

This would have been around 1997. James was then the sales director before he would eventually go on to become the chairman of Thomas Fawcett’s & Sons.

Each brewing generation claims to be in a golden age, or more accurately at the end of the golden age. The number of times a brewer has said to me that we have seen the best of it are too numerous to mention.

John Keeling

James was the type of salesman who loved to chat to the brewer using his malt and didn’t particularly enjoy talking to purchasing managers.

Old fashioned I think is the word. He always gave me good advice about when to buy malt and he liked a drink with me, too.

I probably saved Fuller’s thousands by listening to maltsters. I don’t think he ever gave advice to those purchasing managers. 

I would see him about three times a year and would try to visit the maltings once a year, usually at harvest.

I would also take people from Fuller’s to see him, mainly the sales team, marketeers or accountants because I felt it was important for them to understand the business and not just their part in it.

James was a great host. He delighted in showing us around the maltings. Fawcett’s are a great place to visit because they have floor malting, street malting and combined kilning and germination vessels.

Ken Don, the former head brewer, of Young’s really taught me to put back into the industry as well as take out. I followed in his footsteps on the Heriot-Watt committee then the advisory board.

We both looked forward to the Heriot-Watt former brewers’ weekend in Edinburgh. Ken famously drank 50 pints at one of these events.

These were great weekends meeting old friends and having a good time. If you have heard any of the stories about these weekends, I can confirm they are mostly true.

I also joined the guild committee for London and the Southeast when Ken was chair, and eventually I followed him as chairman too.

One of the reasons I remain involved in brewing through the London Brewing Alliance is because of Ken’s influence while Young’s and Fuller’s brewers were great friends.

We would visit each other, play darts and bowls and of course have the occasional pint. I miss Young’s and I will certainly miss Ken.

We have certainly lost a golden age, an age when people and not just brewers had time to enjoy themselves. A time when you could take colleagues to visit other breweries, maltings, hop growers and farmers. Is life too hectic? Sometimes it feels like it.

Does anyone have a long lunch anymore? Do people have a pint at lunch anymore?

Well, that was my ‘Golden Age’ but don’t worry there will be another one just around the corner. There always has.