Say hello to Si, our new Head Brewer!

We're really proud and excited to have Simon Whittington joining us at the end of April as our new Head Brewer. Si joins us after a short spell at Durham Brewery, but the majority of his career has been with Camerons Brewery in Hartlepool. He started as a lab technician, before moving into production and packaging, and then leading the development of Tooth & Claw Brewing.

Here's a few quick questions to help you get to know Si a little better:

Beer-wise, what ticks your boxes?

"I'm at my happiest sat in Cantillon sharing a bottle of Fou' Foune with a stranger or at De Garre with my friends supping their excellent house Tripel and trying to soak it up with little bowls of Gouda and sausage."

What will you bring to McColl's?

"Controls and measurements are key to differentiating yourself in this crowded industry and I'm confident the behind-the-scenes graft on these points will quickly show in the beer being released."

What’s your favourite McColl’s beer and why?

"Beet de Garde. The beer was originally a collaboration that Danny and I did together when I worked at Tooth & Claw, and I'm so happy it's continued on as a seasonal release. Beet de Garde has really become a cult classic amongst beer lovers and the barrel aged version, Beets Rouge, was superb. Fun fact, I don't like beetroot unless it's in a beer."

. . . 

So what now?

Well, you can expect consistency and quality improvements across all of our beers - this is first and foremost. There'll be a greater diversity of beers, but rest assured there'll be the same friendly, helpful and creative approach to everything that we do.

We're really looking forward to sharing our plans over the coming weeks and months. As restrictions start to lift, we have everything crossed for a smooth reopening so that Si's impact on our beers can be fully appreciated!