The Pellicle Podcast

Today’s episode is an interview with Jimmy Hatherley, founder of Unity Brewing Co in Southampton. Jimmy is a good friend of mine, and a fantastic brewer. He established his brewery in 2016, influenced by modern, hoppy beers such as Russian River’s Pliny the Elder and Focal Banger from Vermont’s The Alchemist. His other influence is closer to home, however: Belgium. He’s just as interested in perfecting his crisp, nuanced saisons as he is his intensely hopped IPAs.

The other thing that interests Jimmy is building his business—but not in the way you might think. He doesn’t feel the need to grow his business to any greater size than he operates at already. Instead he wants to grow slowly, and laterally, investing in his people and a sustainable, good quality of life for his family, and his employees families. It’s a noble aim, and one that for me is at the core of independent brewing here in the United Kingdom.

Stick around after the interview is done as I’ll be reading another feature from our site. This time it’s a piece from Eoghan Walsh, who headed to Rwanda in search of authenticity, and instead went on a journey of self discovery.

Host: Matthew Curtis
Guest: Jimmy Hatherley — Unity Brewing Co. 
Read more at www.pelliclemag.com
Support our podcast at patreon.com/pelliclemag

Welcome to the question time episode.

A few months ago I hosted a panel talk at a bar called Five Miles in Tottenham, North London called Where It’s At. It’s intent? To figure out where the UK craft beer industry is at the moment, perhaps taking stock of it in the process and figuring out how it might look in the future.

I’m joined on this panel by three influential people within the world of beer: Ed Mason, founder of the Five Points Brewing Company here in London; Miranda Hudson, founder of Duration Brewing in Norfolk, and Adam Robertson, founder of Verdant Brewing Company in Falmouth Cornwall.

Very few topics are left alone in this lengthy debate: quality, independence, crowdfunding, the price of beer—nothing is taboo. It resulted in a very interesting discussion, and at times quite amusing—especially when our host, Mark Hislop of Exale Brewing (formerly Hale Brewery) delivered us some patented Mali-Bomb shots midway through the discussion.

Thanks to Dan and Mark of Exale for hosting this discussion. Now that they’re in their new home in Walthamstow, North London, we hope to host another of these entertaining debates soon.

Host: Matthew Curtis
Guests: Adam Robertson — Verdant Brewing, Miranda Hudson — Duration Brewing, Ed Mason — The Five Points Brewing Company. 
Read more at www.pelliclemag.com
Support our podcast at patreon.com/pelliclemag

Today’s episode is a bumper special: a narrative exploration of one of my favourite cities in the UK — Leeds. This bastion of West Yorkshire is very special to me, and that’s because it’s such a wonderful place to visit and to drink some very fine beer.

During this episode we’ll hear from several key people from within the Leeds beer scene, including: Richard Brownhill of Little Leeds Beerhouse and bar, Brownhill and Co, Russel Bisset, founder and director of Northern Monk Brewery, Katie Marriot and Mike Hampshire of Nomadic Beer, and finally Christian Townsley, who over two decades ago founded North Bar with his friend and business partner John Gyngell—who, together, are arguably two of the most important figures in British beer today.

Host: Matthew Curtis
Guests: Russell Bisset — Northern Monk, Richard Brownhill — Little Leeds Beerhouse, Katie Marriot & Mike Hampshire — Nomadic Beer, Christian Townsley — North Brewing Co. 
Read more at www.pelliclemag.com
Support our podcast at patreon.com/pelliclemag

In today’s episode I get to visit one of my favourite places in the world—St. John—a place the late Anthony Bourdain described as “the restaurant of my dreams.” A truer statement has seldom been uttered.

I was invited by Will Bucknall, co-founder of Kicking Horse, a beer distributor with a wine industry background, helping to educate and supply some of London’s best restaurants with great beer. The subject of food and beer is one of my favourites, which is unsurprising considering they’re some of my favourite things. Put them together and you have perfection.

After Will and I chew on this subject for a while we’re joined by St. John’s co-founder Trevor Gulliver—a man with a great many opinions—and whether you agree with him or not, you’ll no doubt find his views to be thought provoking.

This episode was recorded in a working restaurant ahead of a busy service, so please bare with the background noise.

And don’t go anywhere once the interview has finished, as I’ll be reading another piece from our website: a rumination on citrus fruit from chef and founder of Nanban Restaurant, Tim Anderson.

Host: Matthew Curtis
Guests: Will Bucknall — Kicking Horse, Trevor Gulliver — St. John Restaurant 
Read more at www.pelliclemag.com
Support our podcast at patreon.com/pelliclemag

Today’s episode is a “lost podcast” of sorts. I originally recorded this interview in late 2018 for the Good Beer Hunting podcast. Sadly, I left before it was ever submitted, and it has sat, languishing on my hard drive ever since. Listening back to it recently I decided it was too good not to publish.

It features Nick Dolan, Zeph King and Tim Peyton of Real Ale, a small, independent chain of bottleshop/bar hybrids. What’s fascinating is that their business isn’t simply that of a retailer. They’re also in the distribution game, perhaps most notably supplying supermarket chain Marks & Spencer with their own-brand range of beers.

While this episode is perhaps a bit more business focussed than we aspired to produce here at Pellicle, it still centres on what fascinates us the most—great food and drink.

Disclaimer: In this episode it is stated by the interviewee's that their business, Real Ale, is an owner of Woodforde's Brewery in Norfolk. Please be advised that this is no longer the case.

Host: Matthew Curtis
Guests: Nick Dolan, Zeph King and Tim Peyton — Real Ale
Read more at www.pelliclemag.com
Support our podcast at patreon.com/pelliclemag

Today's episode flits between two of our favourite topics: natural wine and lambic—beers own spontaneously fermented equivalent. In this episode you'll hear from Ola Dabrowska and Duncan Sime of Huddersfield-based natural wine shop Kwas, followed by Karel Boon, heir to the storied Boon brewery in Lembeek, Belgium.

In our first interview we'll learn how Ola and Duncan came to open a natural wine bar in a West Yorkshire town better known for its traditional pubs and cask ale. Then we'll jump to a busy Hackney pub where we chat to Karel briefly about his family brewery and how it feels to be taking over from his father as he nears his inevitable retirement.
 

Host: Matthew Curtis
Guests: Ola Dabrowska & Duncan Sime — Kwas, Karel Boon — Brouwerij Boon
Read more at www.pelliclemag.com
Support our podcast at patreon.com/pelliclemag

In today's episode Matthew ruminates briefly on the importance—nay magnificence—of cask ale, before chatting to Roger Ryman, the head brewer at Cornwall's St. Austell Brewery and creator of Tribute, one of the best selling cask beers in the country. Following the interview Matthew reads his article on another of the UK's great cask ales, Harvey's Sussex Best. 
 

Host: Matthew Curtis
Guests: Roger Ryman — St. Austell Brewery
Read more at www.pelliclemag.com
Support our podcast at patreon.com/pelliclemag

Editors Note: Sadly Roger passed away in May 2020. Read our obituary to him here. 

When brewer Jonny Hamilton told writer Matthew Curtis he wanted to start a magazine, a seed was planted and Pellicle was born. In this episode, our very first—and a pilot of sorts—Matthew and Jonny discuss our magazines origins over a couple of nice bottles of wine and beer. They get there, eventually.

Hosts: Matthew Curtis & Jonny Hamilton
Read more at www.pelliclemag.com
Support our podcast at patreon.com/pelliclemag