In my time working as a drinks writer, the best piece of advice I’ve ever been given was to “pay it forward.” How I interpreted this is that if you’re able to take advantage of, and build success from the opportunities you’re given, once you’ve benefited from these it’s your responsibility to use your newfound status, and the resources available to you, to afford others those same opportunities.

Something that’s become increasingly obvious to me, especially over the past 12 months, is that in the world of food and drink, opportunity can be thin on the ground. Whether that’s on the brewery floor, in a wine shop, an orchard, or behind a bar, the chances to build something for yourself are often slim. This is especially the case if you are from a marginalised community, say, if you’re Black, Asian, belong to another minority ethnic or indigenous group, or identify as LGBTQ+.

This annual list of what we call Trendsetters and Trailblazers, our third, is a way of recognising people who have both been gifted with such opportunities, and those who are paving the way for others to follow them. It is important to note, however, this is not intended as a way of merely recognising existing achievements. We also use this as a way of giving a nod to people we think are going to do remarkable things in the year ahead.

Some of the incredible folks listed below have already done a great deal of work that duly deserves recognition, but we believe that the best of this work is yet to come. Meanwhile, others are just getting their start in the industry, or perhaps haven’t been heard as widely and as vocally as we believe they should. And while we could have easily populated this list with several more names, we do have to draw the line somewhere. Never an easy task (especially for Tida, our amazing illustrator for this series) but we hope you appreciate our choices. Just remember that this isn’t a be all and end all, but our way of telling some folks working hard to do something brilliant that we appreciate them for it.

Despite, well, everything, we believe that 2022 is going to be a great year for beer, wine, cider and food. We have to, because that belief is what motivates us, and reminds us that efforts to create cultural change within these industries is as important as creating something welcoming, or delicious. One aspect cannot exist without the other. So here’s to the makers, the campaigners, the grafters, the fighters and the activists; these are our Trendsetters and Trailblazers for 2022.

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Brienne Allan — Brave Noise

It was a simple question on Instagram that sparked what has been called a reckoning: “Have you ever experienced sexism in the beer industry?”

Unless you’ve had your head buried under a rock for the past year, the awareness of sexual harassment, abuse, and toxic workplace culture within the beer industry raised by Brienne Allan will not have gone unnoticed. But it wasn’t simply that she brought this dark aspect of the industry to light through thousands of stories and accounts shared via her Instagram account, but that she turned it into an international movement for progressive change within the industry.

Following the initial publication of these stories in May 2021, Brienne co-founded Brave Noise, a global collaboration designed to raise awareness of these issues in which breweries must publish a code of conduct in order to participate. This also coincided with the more informal founding of the Antisexist Antiracist Proequality Beer Club alongside Ash Eliot of Women of the Bevolution, which raises funds via merch sales to keep their work going, which includes projects like Brave Noise.

Although Brienne has already achieved a great deal in a very short space of time, we believe the next year, and those after that, will be even more impactful. The real work in terms of breweries taking accountability for their actions, and leading genuine, progressive change, is only just beginning. And we’ll be right behind this movement every step of the way.

—Matthew Curtis

Charlotte Cook — Coalition Brewing, London

A real movement is one that empowers others to do the same. In the wake of the publication of Brienne Allan’s Instagram stories, others were granted the space and confidence to invest in their own activism. One of these people was Charlotte Cook, a professional brewer of more than a decade, who earlier this year went on record about her experiences of the alleged toxic workplace culture at Scottish brewery BrewDog.

Her vocalisation of her time there led to appearances on both Woman’s Hour and The Food Programme on BBC Radio 4. Perhaps most significantly, however, it contributed to the formation of Punks with Purpose, a grassroots movement that collated the experiences of multiple BrewDog employees, past and present. The subsequent publication of an open letter directed at BrewDog co-founder James Watt sent shockwaves through the UK beer industry, and raised awareness of substandard workplace practises within beer as a whole.

As with Brienne Allan, you get the sense that Charlotte’s efforts to make the beer industry take proper accountability for its actions are only just beginning. In her position as head brewer at recently established London brewery Coalition, she’s in pole position to lead the next steps.

—Matthew Curtis

Sam Nightingale — Nightingale Cider, Kent

Despite the innumerable hardships it faces, British cider looks to be in a good place. The swell my colleague Matthew wrote of when describing 2021 T&T choice Little Pomona—one a few years in the building—has continued to rise, with an increasing and ever-broadening number of options on the shelf for cider drinkers.

Sam Nightingale is one maker contributing to the health of the scene. I first met Sam at Ross Cider’s ‘Not Ross Fest’ last September, when restrictions meant the annual much-revered knees-up was reduced to a handful of folk sharing ciders and perries surrounded by cardboard, rather than revellers. I tried Sam’s Wild Disco cider and was impressed; it is an incredibly approachable, yet complex and interesting cider.

This past year, Sam’s upped his game. As well as simply producing some of the best cider in the industry and releasing some exquisite 750ml bottles, he also began packaging cider into 440ml cans—a move relatively new to the craft/full juice cider world—and also ran his ‘Cider? Yes!’ campaign, aimed at bringing new drinkers in and combating the notion that “cider is wine.” Instead he’s enthusiastically and wholeheartedly emphasising that cider is, well, cider.

I believe cider and perry’s fortunes are set to improve yet further in the coming year as the sector grows, greater education brings more drinkers in, and options continue to broaden. And with folk like Sam involved, how can it not?

—Lily Waite

MiMi Aye — Cook, author and activist

I’ve known MiMi Aye via Twitter as @meemalee, a fabulous Burmese cook and food writer, for a long time. But it was only over the past two years that I began to understand how deeply she cares for her beloved Burma. Born in the UK to Burmese parents, her advocacy for Burmese cuisine as a connection to her identity and community has led her to passionate and vital activism, raising awareness about the military coup and violence in Myanmar.

Her constant and committed voice has continued to make us sit up and listen to the atrocities happening in Burma throughout 2021, but in her writing, her supper club and online community Burmese Food and Beyond, MiMi has positively created connection to the country she loves so much.

—Katie Mather

Moray Lamb and Hamish McNeil — Eleanore, Edinburgh

It’s been a little over two weeks since Eleanore—the new restaurant and wine bar from the team behind The Little Chartroom—opened, and in that time I’ve not been able to get the meal I enjoyed there on opening weekend out of my head.

Anticipation for the opening of this venue—housed in the original space that housed Roberta Hall-McCarron and Shaun McCarron’s Little Chartroom since 2018—was rife. Throughout the lockdown, TLC operated a pop-up venue on the promenade at Portobello (the seaside tourist hotspot on the periphery of Edinburgh) to great acclaim. During their 14-month residency, it was probably the food I ate most of, outside of my own home.

Under the watchful eye of chefs Moray Lamb and Hamish McNeil, this pop-up provided locals with oysters, flatbreads, hash browns and pastrami buns, but most importantly, endless joy and escapism from a world that was in a state of flux. Eleanore follows on from where TLC on the Prom finished up, but moves it from the beach to a less breezy, still-informal wine-bar setting.

Gone are the seagulls trying to get at your mackerel pâté, the queues, and the occasional crunch of sand in your beignets. Instead, you’re treated to attentive table service, elevated dishes (including a cured halibut and orange kosho plate I’ve been dreaming about) and thoughtful drinks options. Despite a social situation seemingly set on stopping this team, they’ve shown resilience in the face of adversity, and don’t worry, the playlist still includes Men Down Under and AC/DC.

—Jonny Hamilton

Garrett Oliver — The Michael James Jackson Foundation

As brewmaster at New York City’s Brooklyn Brewery for almost three decades, it’s fair to say Garrett Oliver has already had significant influence on beer as we know it. But Garrett understands, deeply, the importance of paying it forward. That’s why in July 2020 he founded The Michael James Jackson Foundation, a “grant-making organisation that funds scholarship awards to Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour within the brewing and distilling trades.”

Following a round of fundraising (to which we’re proud that Pellicle was able to make a small contribution) the Foundation was able to announce the first recipients of its scholarship in 2021. Although you could argue that Garrett probably doesn’t really need another accolade to tuck into the brim of his famous hat, we recognise that he is still in the early stages of his five year tenure as the Foundations chair. This is our hat-tip to the work still to be done, and the futures it is yet to create.

—Matthew Curtis

Alisdair Brooke-Taylor and Aimee Turford — The Moorcock at Norland Moor

I’ve written about The Moorcock before, at length. It’s a beautiful restaurant with menus full of my favourite things, and a place I truly feel at home in. But it’s not the food I’m writing about this time. In The Moorcock, Alistair and Aimee have created a haven of ideas and personal projects that, while disparate, feel totally encompassed by the ethos of the restaurant: pottery made by Alisdair; sour beer, natural wine and cider on the drinks list; local art on the walls, local fleeces on the furniture; a country pub filled with locals and walkers and dogs.

Aimee’s expertise as a sommelier gives The Moorcock a magical array of drinks to choose from, but in 2022 I can see them leading the way with their non-alcoholic choices. Homemade tisanes in the pairing menu, a full non-alcoholic list to choose pairings from—this stuff is important, and it’s been ignored for too long. It’s so gladdening to see a place put together with such deepness of thought considering the quality of their soft drinks as carefully as the mushrooms foraged from the surrounding countryside.

—Katie Mather

Andy Parker — Elusive Brewing, Berkshire

I am told, more often than I’d like, that there is no room left in British beer for new breweries, and that in order to survive, you need to expand beyond a certain size. But I disagree, and I believe that with every pint or can Elusive Brewing serve, founder Andy Parker is defying those doubters.

Based in the Berkshire village of Finchampstead (on the opposite side of the industrial lot to Siren Craft Brew) Andy and his small team are brewing some of the most sensational beer in the UK, five barrels at a time. To me the very existence of Elusive is an indicator that if you work hard, and find your ideal niche, then there is opportunity within the beer industry aplenty. It might sound cliché, but Andy has done this by brewing the beers he wants to drink, which in terms of his West Coast IPAs like Oregon Trail, just so happen to be among the very best in their class from any brewery in the country.

—Matthew Curtis

Jack Arundell and Christian Masters — Dour Cider, Aberdour

The beginnings of Dour Cider reminded me of my own start in the industry. Jack Arundell was not just a regular to the wine bar I used to work at, but he and his partner Eilidh Izat were the architects behind it. Between glasses of Jura Chardonnay and half pints of lager, Jack would talk to me about his interest in cider, and occasionally bring in homebrewed experiments made with then-chef Kiran.

As someone who had found themselves in this position in the past, I had a great respect for what would become Dour Cider, as Jack not only welcomed feedback, but encouraged it. Asking for advice and criticism from peers and industry alike can be daunting, but it is the sign of a serious hobbyist when they take that knowledge onboard.

In their first vintage, Dour, aka. Jack Arundell and Christian Masters, collected almost three tonnes of ignored apples around Edinburgh and the surrounding area, and fermented the resulting juice in a shed in Aberdour, Fife. Their first release had me on tenterhooks. I so wanted these lads to do well, and thankfully, their first, hyper-limited release—a blend of 80% apples and 20% pears—was a resounding success. Despite the fact their inclusion was, most likely, a factor of necessity, the Perry aspect of the blend made their first bottling memorable. Two further releases from their inaugural vintage have only furthered excitement for the 2021 harvest. UK cider needs more risk takers like Jack and Christian.

—Jonny Hamilton

Anna and Kirstin Lamotte — Guardswell Farm, Perthshire

If you’ve been a follower of Pellicle for a while you will know that we are big advocates for growers. Whether it’s stories about vineyards, hop growers, maltsters, dairy farms or farm-to-table restaurants, agriculture is fundamental to our understanding and appreciation of food and drink. Without farmers and growers we wouldn’t have all of the delicious things we love to talk about—and this magazine wouldn’t exist.

This is why the work at Guardswell Farm and Guardswell Grows in Perthshire, Scotland, is so important. It’s a joy to see a new generation take hold of a farm and keep with the times, modernising and staying more relevant than ever. Anna runs Guardswell Farm, which acts as a Scottish interpretation of an Italian agriturismo, or farm-stay, but also incorporates a cookery school, events space, and wedding venue. For two years Kirsten ran Guardswell Grows, an organic, chemical-free, and regenerative vegetable and herb garden based in the same polytunnels that their grandfather used for his herb growing business. Although (sadly) Kirstin has now moved on to new ventures, Guardswell Grows is to be incorporated into the farm under new hands and we look forward to seeing what the future brings for them.

—Jonny Hamilton

Laura Willoughby and Dru Jaeger — Club Soda

Making non-alcoholic choices is important for my mental health, and it’s so great to know that there are blogs and online communities like Club Soda. In 2022 I think considering our alcohol consumption will be an even larger part of our personal journeys, and for me, making those choices easier was all it took to get me to drink more healthily.

The resources on Club Soda cover all areas of the low and no scene around the world, from helping to choose drink alternatives, a super-helpful and well-written blog featuring real-life stories and advice, and courses on drinking mindfully, changing drinking habits or quitting booze altogether. Created by Laura Willoughby who gave up drinking 8 years ago, and Dru Jaeger who changed their relationship with alcohol to deal better with depression, anxiety and trauma, Club Soda is a personal project as well as a space for welcoming new thought to the drinks arena. Their openness in speaking about personal reasons for drinking less was something I found helpful, and it most definitely influences the welcoming way in which Club Soda works as a resource and as a community.

—Katie Mather

John Letts — Grain Breeder, Oxfordshire

I first met John Letts in a misty, rolling field somewhere below Lewes, next to a large area of grain he was growing for Beak Brewery. On the drive over with Beak Brewery’s Danny Tapper and Robin Head-Fourman, they told me excitedly about John’s adventures in grain, and the exciting things he was doing.

For the next two hours we stood and listened to John discuss fascinating developments in the grain world—many of them by John’s own hand—and his plans for future endeavours: bringing heritage grains back to life and fruition; learning from Medieval grain production to breed genetically diverse and adaptive crops; working with Mexican diaspora to grow corn in England better suited for Mexican cuisine than native corn—now somewhat sadly possible due to climate change.

As the climate crisis worsens and the uncertainty of agricultural viability mounts, growers and breeders like John have never been more vital. That his developments and ideas have exciting potential for brewing, distilling, and baking, is surely a bonus, too.

—Lily Waite

Tom and Katie Mather — Corto, Clitheroe

Being close to people means you get to share in their challenges and disappointments as much as you do their successes. Over the past few years I have become wonderfully close friends with Tom and Katie Mather, and have watched in awe as they have ably jumped over every hurdle in the process of opening their first bar, Corto, in their home town of Clitheroe.

Corto is not unique, but to me it represents a progressive genre of bar that is part of a movement redefining how hospitality can look, taste and feel, across the UK. A wonderful range of beer, wine, cider and spirits is at its core, meaning it can satisfy the needs of the ardent cask ale drinker, right the way through to the most intense kind of natural wine enthusiast, along with everyone else who exists on the spectrum of delicious drinks. With its small, seasonal range of plates mostly inspired by Northern Spain, this is complemented perfectly (especially with an off-menu gilda.) It is the kind of bar I want to visit all the time, and spend hours in.

But it’s not easy for hospitality at the moment, especially for young businesses like Corto, with more needlessly unnecessary hurdles being strewn in their path. But I believe in them—my friends—and in a bright future for both those who love to serve, and love to enjoy delicious drinks. Viva Corto!

—Matthew Curtis

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