Trendsetters and Trailblazers — 16 People Who Will Shape Beer, Wine and Cider in 2021
Optimism’s a funny thing. After the year we’ve had it might seem fantastical to now predict the people we at Pellicle think will have a hugely positive influence on the cultures of beer, wine and cider in the year ahead. But, difficult as things are, I hang on the fact that there are a lot of folks out there working night and day to make delicious things for us to enjoy drinking, and others within these industries with that same dedication, aiming to ensure these worlds are open to all-comers.
With the year we’ve experienced it’s not surprising that some of the predictions I made last year didn’t quite pan out. While Do Bongers laid fantastic groundwork for the mixed fermentation project at Aberdeen’s Fierce Brewing, in 2020 she would move on to establish a new idea entirely back in her home country of The Netherlands, Basic Theory Ferments. And as excited as I was for Amass-chef/owner Matt Orlando’s Broaden and Build brewpub in Copenhagen, it could not escape the ceaselessness of this pandemic, closing its doors for good at the end of May.
However, others on that list pivoted, pirouetted and three-sixtied their way through the year, doing their level best to make things work despite almost everything going against them. Derek Bates and Miranda Hudson at Norfolk’s Duration Brewing switched from a largely draught-beer focused business plan to cans at home paired with regular virtual brewery tours. Felix Nash of the Fine Cider Company hit the road in his little van, doing doorstep deliveries for cider lovers (including myself) around London. And in Manchester, Cloudwater’s Paul Jones launched the industry-defining Wayfinder Project, directly investing in uplifting a wider variety of voices in beer. It should come as no surprise that both the first and second Wayfinders have made this list.
It’s optimism, mixed with a little hope (and a whole lot of gumption) that drives these people, and for that reason, it should be cherished. I’ve approached making this list in the same way. Despite my wariness of, well, everything, you’ve got to have hope. And in addition to my own picks this year I’m also pleased to welcome contributions from both Pellicle regular Katie Mather and my co-founder Jonny Hamilton.
These are our Trendsetters and Trailblazers for 2021—we’re optimistic they’ll leave a lasting, culturally significant mark on the worlds of beer, wine and cider in the year beyond.
***
Portraits by Tida Bradshaw
Lily Waite — The Queer Brewing Project, London
In our most recent podcast episode, I refer to newly-crowned British Beer Writer of the Year Lily Waite as “invincible.” When the word came to me, I was very much thinking this in the context of Mario grabbing a power star and running with indestructible, rainbow-tinged force at all challenges ahead. I don’t think anyone in beer has had a year quite like Lily—not only producing some of the best beer writing anywhere in the world, and running a pottery business on the side, but also securing a long-term future for her beer business, The Queer Brewing Project.
It’s for the latter, specifically, that Lily tops this year’s list. Thanks to the injection of ideas, resources and capital from Cloudwater, TQBP will step out of its role of collaborator and into that of a fully-fledged brewery—complete with core beers and a killer brand—in 2021. What I most admire about Lily’s approach is that she does things her own way, without leaning into cliché or pastiche. Everything she does is 100% Lily, while also taking in immense consideration of those around her, and I love it.
The evidence of her influence is already great, with young LGBTQ+ folks having more confidence and visibility within beer directly as a result of her presence and actions. What TQBP has the potential to achieve next is to actually reach outside of the craft beer niche and into LGBTQ+ culture proper, with a range of beers that are as delicious and chock-full of her personality as they are accessible. The most exciting thing about all this? She’s barely warmed up.
—Matthew Curtis
Christian Townsley and John Gyngell — North Brewing Co., Leeds
When Christian Townsley and John Gyngell opened Leeds’ North Bar back in 1997, they established a blueprint for the modern beer bar before craft beer in the UK was even a pipe dream. For this alone, their influence on modern British beer will never be forgotten. Looking back, it now feels like it was inevitable that they’d one day open their own brewery, which they did when they established North Brewing Co. in 2015, just half a mile up the road from the bar where it all began.
Not content to rest on their laurels, in November 2020 North finally unveiled their new Springwell site—a new brewery inside a beautiful former tannery that will allow them not only to double capacity but also to open a brand new, 500 capacity taproom, extending the reach of their already formidable hospitality offering. With this expansion John and Christian ably demonstrate that the beer and hospitality industries won’t be beaten, even in this, the most difficult of years.
—Matthew Curtis
Anna Tobias — Café Deco, London
It's been an awful year for the hospitality sector, constantly having to adapt to new rules on a weekly basis. So for chef Anna Tobias and team to open Café Deco in London's Bloomsbury—in partnership with another cult London food and drink establishment 40 Maltby Street—is nothing short of incredible.
In a year where we have battled with being unable to share many experiences with friends and family, seeing photos of dishes created at home by Tobias—a joyful advocate for #beigefood—made me crave the comfort found in a well-crusted pie, a perfectly-executed quiche, or simply a plate of potatoes in whatever form they have taken. I've been lucky enough to have my appetite wetted when Anna was in control of the pans in East London's P Franco a couple of years back, and looking at the opening few menus it's clear to me that Café Deco will be the first place I visit in London when allowed next year. In beige we trust.
—Jonny Hamilton
Stacey Ayeh — Rock Leopard Brewing Co., London
There is a drought of Black-owned businesses in the British beer industry. With over 2000 breweries you’d think that you wouldn’t be able to count them on your fingers alone. You’d be wrong. Step forward (or should that be ‘Step Up’) Stacey Ayeh of South London-based Rock Leopard Brewery, who’s increasingly vocal and confident platform in beer is now—slowly, but surely—beginning to get the recognition he deserves.
Stacey makes this list first and foremost because his beer has come on in leaps and bounds. Rock Leopard’s ‘How Are You On Your Good Days?’ DIPA only narrowly missed out on my beers of the year shortlist with its West Coast-tinged magnificence. The reality is however, that in the UK, Black-owned beer businesses are not being afforded the same graces and luxuries as those run by their white counterparts. It’s thanks to Stacey’s education and, most importantly, patience that I have become aware of this. My hope is that his influence will continue to grow in 2021 and that many more people discover and celebrate his excellent beer, and that of other Black-owned breweries too.
—Matthew Curtis
Jas Swan — Katla Wines, Mosel, Germany
Natural wine often gets a rough deal outside of its own circles. I believe some of the best drinks writing and most exciting winemaking is happening within its sphere, but still, questions are asked about its reasons and practices, even its validity against conventional wine. Jas is a sommelier-turned-winemaker who has no time for these questions. She’s too busy making wine as Katla Wines, carrying out in-depth research into hybrid grape varieties, pruning methods and biodynamic cultivation.
She’s an outspoken activist within the wine industry against climate change and set up the first Wine vs. Climate Change Summit with Jan Matthias Klein of Staffelter Hof. To know her is to know she is the queen of spreadsheets filled with fascinating winemaking data. She is a hero of mine for her bravery as much as her breadth and depth of knowledge. Because surely it’s brave as a young woman to jump into natural winemaking in Mosel, and to reject common practices and accepted knowledge in favour of carving your own path. To stick your head above the vines and take note of the world around you—and speak out loudly about the things you believe are wrong.
In 2021 I wish her wines all the best and hope her offhand comment about to growing vines in Iceland comes to fruition. I’m sure it will. Jas is a force of nature and the natural wine world is lucky to know her.
—Katie Mather
Susanna and James Forbes — Little Pomona Cider & Perry, Herefordshire
British Cider (and perry) is in a significantly different place at the end of this year than it was at the start. A swell in this sector that has been building for the past few years finally built enough pressure to burst the dam in 2020, with makers such as Little Pomona’s James and Susanna Forbes riding the crest of that wave. With their delicious, artfully produced range they are winning over new fans with each and every release.
There are those who will tell you that cider and perry have been in a good place for some time, that the world of the apple and pear has been waiting for all who would enjoy it as soon as they were ready. But to me, as someone who was cider-curious for years before finally getting their feet wet, it never felt like that until recently. What differs in James and Susanna’s approach—and why I feel it’s so appealing—is that they’ve learned what has worked in beer and wine and deftly applied it to their own business, perhaps most importantly also retaining their strong identity as a producer of world-class cider and perry in the process. Their’s is a blueprint for the future of a sector I feel is on the cusp of national acclaim.
—Matthew Curtis
Toby and Caroline McKenzie — RedWillow Brewery, Macclesfield
Please consider this nomination as a belated mea culpa. Rewind to 2012 and I’m sat in a long-since-closed Shoreditch bar called Mason and Taylor, enjoying my third glass of Ageless IPA and wondering if I’ll have enough cash left to top up my oyster card before getting the bus home. As the years went on, despite having a deep love for RedWillow’s beers, my interest for them fell by the wayside as I came across their beers in fewer instances.
That changed at the beginning of March 2020 when I finally got off the train at Macclesfield station instead of heading onwards to Manchester Piccadilly. I was in town to do some photography for the brewery, and not expecting to discover a small town with such an exceptional beer scene. At the heart of this, with their incredible beers (and I mean this sincerely, these are some of the best in the country) and the bar that serves as their de facto taproom, are Toby, Caroline and the brewery they built together. I should have been raving about RedWillow for years, I intend to make up for lost time henceforth.
—Matthew Curtis
Tom Delaney — Land and Labour, Galway, Ireland
Head brewer of one of Ireland’s best breweries, Galway Bay, father of two, husband, occasional drummer, and screenprinter of t-shirts for this very magazine. It boggles the mind how Tom can manage all of this, and still find the time to run his very own mixed-fermentation project based out of the aforementioned Galway-based brewery.
A perfectionist like nobody I've ever met, and one to judge his own beers with a level of scrutiny reserved usually for panels at industry awards, it's little wonder that it's taken Tom so long to get his Land and Labour beers out there into the world. I've known Tom for a good few years now, have gotten to brew a number of beers with him, both in Galway and in London, both mixed-fermentation and clean, and consider him a close friend, mentor, and sharer of ideas. I've been able to try these beers at various stages over the years at festivals, as gifts, and at Pellicle’s launch party back in May 2019. Their clarity of flavour, impeccable label design and all-round elegance were only matched by my own personal frustrations that he still hadn't released the beers at this time.
Knowing that some of the best mixed-ferm beers—ranging from spontaneous beers, including those on fruit, and cuvées blended with saison—in the world were sitting in Galway, guarded by Tom's own perfectionism, made me think they would never get released. Thankfully, bottles of these beautiful creations, with their corks and cages from a vintage corking machine lovingly restored by Tom, labels based on linocuts, and magnums presented in hand-screened wooden boxes, are finally on the shelves across Europe. Next year I hope we see more of these beers, and Tom getting the credit he totally deserves.
—Jonny Hamilton
James Calder — The Society for Independent Brewers (SIBA)
Sitting in the audience at SIBA’s 2018 AGM during the organisation's annual Beer X conference in Liverpool, I witnessed what was essentially a revolt, spawned from the feeling from some of its smaller members that it did not have their best interests at heart. The sense in the venue was one of disquiet and negativity, and one some were not sure SIBA could claw its way back from. I already knew James, who then worked for the association as its head of public affairs. His appointment as chief executive in June 2019, following the departure of his predecessor Mike Benner, came as a surprise. I now see this as a positive statement of intent, following the disquiet SIBA had previously endured.
Speaking to James shortly after his promotion he described his task of winning back the trust of its smallest members as “turning around a container ship, not a yacht.” The small and independent members of the UK brewing industry need a dedicated trade association to fight for it, and ensure it has a fair bite of the cherry. SIBA will only achieve this if it has both the trust of its members and a leader that will steer it in a positive direction. His work during this tumultuous year has been exceptional, lifting the veil of an association that has too often operated behind closed doors. My feeling, however, is that James’ real work is just getting started—and I can’t think of anyone better to be doing that job right now.
—Matthew Curtis
Albert Johnson — Ross on Wye Cider & Perry Company, Herefordshire
I first met Ross on Wye’s Albert Johnson right at the beginning of 2020. It was during an event called Juicy Tuesday’s held by cider distributor The Real Al Company at Trap, its bar in Walthamstow, London. He had forgotten to change his footwear when leaving the farm where he produces some of the UK’s best cider and perry, and had arrived still wearing his wellington boots, forever endearing him to the gathered crowd.
Later that evening I’d order a round of his ciders—including a glass for Albert himself. I don’t remember specifically what variety it was, but it was an older vintage, served from bag-in-box and despite me professing how much I was enjoying it, Albert was unhappy: the cider was presenting a small amount of acetic acid, an off flavour too often given a free pass if it appears in traditional English cider. The next half hour of discussion revolved around this, and I was in awe of Albert’s knowledge, and the precision in which he delivered it throughout. My own perception of cider was forever altered that day, while also delighting me that the industry has stewards as passionate and knowledgeable as this. In Albert, cider and perry’s future is in very good hands indeed.
—Matthew Curtis
Daniel Tapper — Beak Brewery, Lewes
It’s not often Guardian food critic Jay Rayner pips me to recommending a new brewery taproom, but when it came to Beak Brewery in Lewes, he definitely did. That was thanks to brewery founder Daniel Tapper’s attention to detail, with a food offering as solid as his own beer that quickly saw the taproom become one of the most talked-about new beer venues in the UK.
I’ve known Daniel for a few years now—first as a fellow beer writer, and later as a guy who would eagerly talk to me about his new brewing project, Beak, which finally came to fruition in 2020. The Sussex town of Lewes is an inspired choice for a home, not an hour by rail from London and home to plenty of beer history and great pubs, as well as being near to modern beer luminaries Burning Sky. It was the most exciting brewery opening for me this year—something that back in April I’d never have believed would be possible—and I’m confident that next year will see Beak soar, cementing its place as one of the most exciting new breweries in the UK.
—Matthew Curtis
Nicky Kong — The Cat in the Glass, Manchester
Manchester Pub, The Crown and Kettle benefitted from Nicky Kong’s passion for cider and beer to such an extent, that now she’s left in search of her own entrepreneurial endeavours, I’m sure it will never quite be the same place again. Her love of cider, in particular, helped bring about Greater Manchester’s position as a northern cider paradise, and it’s fair to say that Manchester Cider Club would not exist in its current state without her hard work and input.
A pommelier (a cider equivalent to a sommelier) in training, she sources her ciders personally, pounding the motorways and meandering B-roads of cider country to bring back goodies for us all. Her new project The Cat In The Glass, currently operating out of Temperance Street Cider in Manchester, ensures that none of us need ever go without the latest or most delicious ciders and perries she’s sourced from across the UK and beyond. I’m excited to see what her endless energy and depth of knowledge brings to the North, and indeed the wider drinks industry, in 2021. Nicky is one of the industry’s best people, and I’m proud that she’s doing all of her amazing work in Manchester. Come on, the North!
—Katie Mather
Helen Anne Smith — Burum Collective, Cardiff
UK drinks media—specifically beer and cider media, is at something of an impasse. It was left largely unscathed by the fallout in food media on both sides of the Atlantic during 2020. There was no Bon Appétit-scale editorial scandal, and subsequently, there was no reaction to this in the form of new voices, publications and newsletters emerging to set a new precedent.
My opinion is that drinks media needs a good kick up the arse—and that includes my own arse. It is still too complacently reliant on seeking the attention of mainstream audiences, and writers still put far too much stock in mainstream publications writing about beer and cider as a signifier of success, instead of doubling down on the audience that matters: that which cares deeply about great beer and cider.
Which is why I was so thrilled to see Burum Collective—which identifies as a “virtual networking space and community blog” but is definitely much more than just that—emerge this year. At the centre of Burum is founder Helen Anne Smith, a bartender and chef, not just with an immense passion for great drinks, but also in championing the marginalised voices within the industry. Quickly, Burum has become a go-to read for me, and has also made me realise that I (and by extension that also means us at Pellicle) need to ensure we do the same. Recently announced as the second Cloudwater Wayfinder, I am eager to see what Helen accomplishes with Burum next year. It’s going to be great.
—Matthew Curtis
