BrewBoard Brewery

BrewBoard Brewery, Harston, Cambridgeshire
Q&A

Q: Who are you/what do you do?  
A: Stuart Chambers. I am the head brewer and one of the founding directors of BrewBoard craft brewery.

Q: What was the inspiration for starting the brewery?    
A: Prior to BrewBoard I had been making small batches of beer in a brewery that I had built in an old converted Blacksmith Forge. At that time craft beer was a new and growing scene in the UK. With my passion to learn more about the art of brewing and to create vibrant hop forward beers, I went onto make several connections with brewers in the industry. The relationships I made spurred me on to join forces with my colleagues to form the business which finally developed into BrewBoard as we know it now.

Q: Where do you see, or hope to see, the brewery in 5 years’ time?  
A: We have a plan to expand production at BrewBoard, with a year-on-year growth in sales, offering an ever-growing range of specials and core beers. We plan to expand our distribution further afield while retaining the quality we offer.

Q: Are there any other breweries which have influenced your brewery?  
A: Yep, there are many other breweries that we have drawn inspiration from and enjoy drinking their fantastic beers, it would be difficult to name a few without inadvertently omitting one or two who should equally be mentioned.

Q: The craft beer movement seems to be going from strength to strength. Why do you think brewing has been such a great success in recent years?  
A: Craft breweries have been continually developing new and exciting ranges of exceptionally high-quality beers that have pushed the envelope on traditional styles and ingredients. These beers and brands are generating an ever-bigger base of loyal and evermore-informed drinking public.

Q: What do you see as the latest beer styles to look out for in 2020? 
A: Beer styles that may trend this year are possibly going to be rosé beers along with rich coffee-inspired beers and an uptake of traditional Belgian beers. There will also be many various barrel-aged beers coming onto the market in 2020 following the huge uptake of barrel-ageing programs coming to fruition.

Q: Many breweries are experimenting with adding unusual flavours to their beers. Are there any you think work well together and are there any you would like to try? 
A: Soursop fruit is a particular favourite at the moment and we have a few unusual adjuncts that we are planning on rolling out this year into a some experimental beers which I would like to keep under my hat until release, but as a clue, one or two of these items will be foraged from coastal regions…

Looking ahead, what new stuff can we expect from you?  
A: This coming year we’re aiming to release a few classic beer styles that I hope represent a true and authentic take on the style, and in addition some previously mentioned peculiar stuff to keep challenging us further as brewers…

Q: What is the best part of your job?
A: Appreciating the pleasure that good beers can bring to an individual or group of people.

What was your first drink and where were you when you had it?  
A: My first beer if I remember correctly was a warm best bitter shared with a few mates when we were about fourteen-years-old, fishing on a river near Lincoln. It really wasn’t great but it felt like we had reached a new teen high!

Q: If you have to pick (we know, tough choice!) which would be your top three beers in the whole world?
A: Mmmm a toughie, I must place, in no particular order, ‘Money’ IPA by Barrier, a New York brewery, along with Buxton’s ‘Trolltunga’ Gooseberry sour IPA, and most Cantillon Lambic beers.

Q: You are stuck on a desert island, what three things are you taking with you? 
A:  My swiss army knife, a pair of yellow wellies and a genie in a bottle!

The BrewBoard range is available here at Beers of Europe.