Roots to Work: The London brewer

What drew you to beer in particular?
Growing up in Nottingham, having a pint down the pub is just what you do. Beer is such a social, accessible drink. I'm lucky to have grown up in a place with such amazing breweries on my doorstep.

How did you get into brewing professionally?
During the recession, a couple of friends of mine we're trying to start a brewery when I jumped on board. We went from being homebrewers, to using other breweries equipment such as cuckoo brewers, to getting our own six barrel brewery in Walthamstow.

What has been the biggest help along the way?
The support of local people. Whether that's been people coming to our brewery taproom or retweeting what we're up to. They're a vital part of what we do.

What one piece of advice would you offer to someone thinking about setting up a microbrewery?
Get a good team around you made up of people with a different skill set to you.  I love what I do, and it’s mostly because I'm making beer with my mates.

Wild Card Brewery is a London Food Link supporter. Portrait by Miles Willis for The Jellied Eel

Find good food jobs and volunteering opportunities through Roots to Work, run by London Food Link’s Capital Growth team

Electrify The ‘Eel!
The original version of this article first appeared in The Jellied Eel magazine, an element of London Food Link's work as the voice for good food in the capital.

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