HOPPY CHRISTMAS everybody! We'll be taking a short break over the festive period for some much needed rest, time to regroup and let the creative juices flow again, and tuck into a bottle of 2018's Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

In this short mini-episode, Nick shares a few pearls of wisdom from his experience in the beer industry over Christmas time, and several things to look forward to in 2020 with Hop Forward.

Merry Christmas!

After seeing a decline in milk sales from local customers and being hit hard by supermarket pricing, the Sheffield born and bred Gill family looked for an alternative to dairy farming, including furniture making. In an epiphany moment, they decided to take their love of beer, sell their cattle and, in 2005, with help of government funding, start Bradfield Brewery.

Since then, Bradfield Brewery has become a much loved institution both in Sheffield and regions reaching up the North coast and down into the heart of the midlands.

Their beers may not be dry hopped within an inch of their life, you can guarantee that you’ll be served a crystal clear pint of traditional cask ale with a thick creamy head that displays beautiful lacing all the way down the glass; as appealing to the eye as it is to the pallet when you return for a third of fourth pint.

Around the festive season every year, Belgium Blue - a traditional bitter infused with elderberries - has become one of Sheffield’s most consumed beers.

Deliciously velvety in colour with a slight residual sweetness balanced beautifully with fruity tartness, the beer - named after a breed of cow - is now one of the hallmarks to kick start the festive season.

And while their beers may not appeal to the Untappd massive, they’ve won countless awards over the years and continue to dominate tap handles in both metropolitan and country pubs.

We recently caught up with Jon Gill and Jackie Helliwell from the brewery to talk all about what makes the taste of tradition a success in today’s beer market.

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Today's episode is sponsored by Ecokeg - the strongest, most versatile and eco –friendly one way keg on the market today.

Ecokegs can be racked just like a cask or counter pressure filled like any traditional steel kegs.

Made in the UK using 70% recycled materials and fully recyclable to industrial recyclers, they can be 100% recycled by Ecokeg themselves into new kegs, they also offer free collection for empty Ecokegs.

Used extensively across the brewing industry by cask brewers looking to access the keg market without needing any expensive equipment, as well as macro/micro brewers distributing across the UK and throughout the rest of the world, particularly because they are available in not only Sankey valves but Grundy, A and D type also.

For more information you can speak directly to Lewis on 01656 725799 or email [email protected], or visit ecokeg.com

Hailing from Barnsley, South Yorkshire (UK), beer illustrator and artist Lewy Lewy discusses what it takes to create bespoke artwork for craft breweries in this week's episode of the Hop Forward Podcast.

Having undertaken an art degree in Birmingham, Lewis Ryan moved into a role as a creative director for a marketing firm before realising his passion lay with illustrating for breweries and musicians.

Lewy took the jump by creating a stunning portfolio of work and connecting with breweries through Brew Dog's bars, getting his first big break with Sheffield's Abbeydale Brewery.

Since then, his designs have become hot property, working with companies such as London's Hammerton Brewery and Rock Leopard, as well as Oslo based brewery, Amundsen Bryggeri .

If you've never encountered his artwork before, head over to www.lewisryanart.com and check out www.hopforward.beer/podcast to see some of the rough sketches.

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Today's episode is sponsored by Ecokeg - the strongest, most versatile and eco –friendly one way keg on the market today.

Ecokegs can be racked just like a cask or counter pressure filled like any traditional steel kegs.

Made in the UK using 70% recycled materials and fully recyclable to industrial recyclers, they can be 100% recycled by Ecokeg themselves into new kegs, they also offer free collection for empty Ecokegs.

Used extensively across the brewing industry by cask brewers looking to access the keg market without needing any expensive equipment, as well as macro/micro brewers distributing across the UK and throughout the rest of the world, particularly because they are available in not only Sankey valves but Grundy, A and D type also.

For more information you can speak directly to Lewis on 01656 725799 or email [email protected], or visit ecokeg.com

“50 episodes? That’s one more than 49!” observes The Sheffield Brewery Company’s Paddy Spencer in this week’s anniversary episode of the Hop Forward Podcast.

To celebrate episode 50, Nick and guest presenter Paddy Spencer travel deep into the rolling hills of Derbyshire for an extended episode, sampling smoked beers at Torrside Brewing’s annual Smokefest, catching up with Peter from the small team to chat about the history of smoked beers and his take on the wider industry today.

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Today's episode is sponsored by Ecokeg - the strongest, most versatile and eco –friendly one way keg on the market today.

Ecokegs can be racked just like a cask or counter pressure filled like any traditional steel kegs.

Made in the UK using 70% recycled materials and fully recyclable to industrial recyclers, they can be 100% recycled by Ecokeg themselves into new kegs, they also offer free collection for empty Ecokegs.

Used extensively across the brewing industry by cask brewers looking to access the keg market without needing any expensive equipment, as well as macro/micro brewers distributing across the UK and throughout the rest of the world, particularly because they are available in not only Sankey valves but Grundy, A and D type also.

For more information you can speak directly to Lewis on 01656 725799 or email [email protected], or visit ecokeg.com

Ask any brewer in the industry about a near-miss they've had in the brewhouse and you'll be met with countless stories, some told as anecdotes and some recounted with tentative trepidation, most of all ending with the sentence, 'It could have been so much worse!'

But for some, unfortunately, near-misses aren't misses at all: they are fully fledged accidents and incidents, often resulting in life-altering injuries, hospitalisation and debilitation.

In the worse case scenarios, even death.

Health and safety is paramount in the beer business. Whether you're a distributor operating a folk-lift truck to take a delivery of badly strapped kegs, or a brewer making do with *that* ladder up to the brew kettle (again!), it only takes a moment - a flash - for such an accident to happen.

American brewmaster [Teri Fahrendorf](www.terifahrendorf.com) knows this all too well. In 1989, she suffered 3rd degree burns on 11% of her body on account of a badly designed brewhouse and lived to tell the tale.

Some of the others, as she recounts in this episode, weren't so fortunate.

This is episode is pivotal listening for all involved in brewing and manual handling; a stark reminder that it's better to put procedures and practices in place *now* before it's too late.

For more information on Teri and her work in the American beer industry, visit her website at [www.terifahrendorf.com](www.terifahrendorf.com)

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Today’s show is sponsored by Premier Systems, creators of BrewMan, the UK’s No.1 brewery management software, used by over 200 breweries and distilleries of all sizes.

The end-to-end system covers all back office functions such as CRM, stock control, distribution, cask tracking, reporting, raw material purchase ordering and traceability. BrewMan helps brewers focus on making great beer, not doing paperwork.

BrewMan is a cloud-based subscription service with no long term contracts or any upfront set up fees and starts from just £20 a month. If you would like more information about BrewMan, or book a demo of the software, please get in touch at **+44(0)2380 811 100**, email at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) or visit [premiersystems.com](http://premiersystems.com).

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- Visit our website [www.hopforward.beer](www.hopforward.beer) for more articles, podcasts and insights like this one, and see how you can get ahead in the brewing and beer business through one of our services.

Roger Protz is one of the world's leading beer writers, historians, lecturers and tasters

With over 20 books under his belt on the subject, he has also edited more than 20 editions of the annual CAMRA Good Beer Guide, given many public tutored beer tastings, including the annual Great British Beer Festival among many others, and campaigned tirelessly for CAMRA in the fight for cask conditioned real ale.

In this episode, we talk to the man himself at the recent Sheffield's Steel City Beer & Cider festival about how he has seen the beer industry and culture change, and his opinions on everything from what makes a good beer to whether hardcore CAMRA members should be concerned with their CO2.

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- Follow us on social media @hopforwardbeers
- Leave us a review on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play
- Find out more about how we can help you and your beer business at www.hopforward.beer

Today's show is sponsored by Premier Systems, creators of BrewMan, the UK’s No.1 brewery management software, used by over 200 breweries and distilleries of all sizes. The end-to-end system covers all back office functions such as CRM, stock control, distribution, cask tracking, reporting, raw material purchase ordering and traceability. BrewMan helps brewers focus on making great beer, not doing paperwork.

BrewMan is a cloud-based subscription service with no long term contracts or any upfront set up fees and starts from just £20 a month.

If you would like more information about BrewMan, or book a demo of the software, please get in touch at 02380 811 100, email at [email protected] or visit premiersystems.com.

This week, we head over to the dark side with Wander Beyond Brewing's Head Brewer, Mat Breslin, as we talk about brewing and barrel aging high gravity beers such as Imperial Stouts, Milkshake IPAs and fruited Berliner Weisse.

Mat talks about some of the techniques behind creating such big beers, along with pitching their beers to consumers in and beyond Manchester.

Follow us on social media @hopforwardbeers
Check out the website at hopforward.beer
Leave us a review on iTunes, Spotify and the like

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Today's episode is sponsored by SSV Limited...

From tanks to full brewhouses SSV Limited have got you covered. In just five short years SSV Limited have established themselves as the go to partner to help you grow or launch your brewery.

High quality tanks, parts, brewing kit and the knowledge and experience to ensure your project runs smoothly from beginning to completion.

Their recently opened parts shop stocks well over 1000 essential brewing parts to keep your brewery up and running.

Visit their website on www.ssvlimited.co.uk and check out their latest projects.

Is there anything more alluring to a brewer than shiny stainless steel? We think not! But where should you start when looking to purchase equipment or upgrade your existing brewhouse?

Should you go steam powered, direct gas fired, or electric? Do you go RTJ, Tri-camp or DIN? And what are the essentials you need to include in your budget and the nice-to-haves you can live without for a while?

While costing up brewery essentials may seem like a minefield - let alone installing it in that railway arch! - it need not be.

This week, we talk to comissioning brewers James Campbell (formerly Marble and Cloudwater) and Venkatesh Iyer (ex-Leeds Brewery) of SSV Limited all about brewery vessels and equipment for you and your brewhouse.

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Follow us on social media @hopforwardbeers

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Check out www.hopforward.beer for more podcasts like this one and a range of services to help you get ahead in your beer business.

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Today's episode is proudly sponsored by NicheSolutionsGB www.nichesolutionsgb.co.uk

Try Enzybrew10: the eco-friendly dettergent that beats biofilms. Enzybrew 10 is the all-in-one, eco-friendly cleaning product from Realzyme, available now from NicheSolutions.

It’s an enzyme-based powdered detergent rather than a traditional caustic-based cleaning solution – and it provides an effective weapon against biofilms and brewery contamination.

In 21st Century life, we are becoming increasingly conscious about our plastic consumption and our carbon footprint upon the earth. Yet, for many of us, we don't stop to think about another source equally as damaging to the planet: food waste.

Toast Ales are playing their part by creating beers brewed using surplus and wasted bread, partnering with other breweries to breakdown the loafs, mash in, and create some wonderful beers.

This week, we talk to co-founder, Louisa Zaine all about sustainability and food waste in the food and beverage industry.

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This week's episode of the Hop Forward Podcast is sponsored by Nichesolutions GB...

One of the biggest challenges faced by the brewing/ beverage industry is environmental sustainability. NicheSolutions are promoting new ways to do business by investing in innovative, energy-efficient projects with low impact on the environment.

Their Nc6 can holders are just one new, cost-effective way for brewers to make a difference - and they're already proving popular. The UK’s first 100% eco-friendly six-pack holders are made from 100% recycled wood pulp, which in turn is 100% biodegradable. We're proud to say they have earned the prestigious DIN CERTO certificate of compostability.

Whether you’re a brewer producing cans of beer or a consumer drinking them, it surely makes sense to stop using plastic can holders. Why add needlessly to the planet’s mounting plastic waste problem, and create a long-term threat to the environment, to birds and sea life?

Even beyond the problem of landfill sites and oceans filling up with plastic, the old-fashioned plastic 6-pack holders pose an extra hazard to birds and animals. That’s why many consumers now snip them with scissors before disposal.

NicheSolutions’ new Nc6 six-pack can holders fit 330cl, 440cl and 500cl cans, and are priced at only 23p each. Ask about the can holders when you're placing your next order with www.nichesolutionsgb.co.uk

On the Hop Forward Podcast this week, we sit down with Lincoln Green Brewing Co. owner and SIBA Chair of the Midlands Region Anthony Hughes to talk about how partnering with an established pub company has helped build a sustainable business, which predominantly - but not exclusively - produces cask beers.

Anthony also talks about the role of SIBA in today's landscape and shares his thoughts on how CAMRA members are possibly hindering cask beer more than they are helping it.

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Today's episode is sponsored by SSV Limited (www.ssvlimited.co.uk) with additional support from Nichesolutions GB (www.nichesolutionsgb.co.uk).