Brewer Profile
Ben Ridgeon
I have had a history of being involved with real ales for around ten years now, mainly looking after them as a cellerman in many different pubs. In April of 2000 I stumbled across the Thistle Park Brewhouse (or Tavern as it was then), quite by chance. As it turned out there was a job going there for bar manager, and I was quick to take the job. The pub was well known for real ale and the owner also had a brewery next door. I was really interested in brewing at this point having done some at home. So I asked if it was possible to get some experience in Sutton Brewery, (which is the same brewery plant that operates at South Hams now). |
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| I started out doing one day a week in the brewery, working around the bar job, and this continued for about a year. The current brewer at the time showed me how to operate the plant and taught me the basics of brewing. He had another project to go to at a different brewery and in July 2001 I took over the job as head brewer at Sutton Brewery. At this point I was the youngest person in the country to hold such a position at just 22 years old. I still have the same position to this day, but the brewery has moved premises and changed trading names to The South Hams Brewery.
I still enjoy being a cellerman also, and real ale plays a big part in my life. I take great care to maintain standards of my ale, in hope that the great following that we have will continue to grow, and that those who try them for the first time will enjoy drinking them as much as much as I do making them.
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