Guild Member Profile

• 47A Barley Mow Lane, Catshill, BROMSGROVE, Worcestershire, B61 0LU
• +447976610144
• +441527313880
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Brett Laniosh

Magazine Publisher / Beer Education Consultant and Trainer

• Full member

• teacher/trainer/consultant

• Midlands

• magazine publisher

• beer consultant / trainer/ cellar craft member

• camra
• ebcu

• publishing
• training
• europe
• freelance
• education

What is the one thing you'd like to tell visitors to the Guild's website?

A lifelong educator who works with breweries, pub companies, licensees and trade/consumer organisations to raise awareness of beer by delivering informative and entertaining training programmes through beerconsultancy.co.uk.

Runs a publishing and design company design.catshill.com that produces pub magazines on behalf of CAMRA.

An active member of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) since 1977 and a National Director from 2006 to 2011. Former CAMRA delegate and currently project co-ordinator for the European Beer Consumers Union (EBCU).

What you can offer as a writer/beer lover?

I’ve been volunteering with CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) since 1977 including 11 years as a national director and I was responsible for setting up the National Beer Scoring Scheme. I am a project co-ordinator for the European Beer Consumers Union (EBCU).

Key events that I have been responsible for or influential in achieving for CAMRA include, a record growth in membership, the adoption of the Locale Scheme that promotes the stocking of local cask ale in pubs, the running of workshops and training events (including the Good Food Show) across the UK including the National Conference/AGM and the creation of a major new education initiative to promote knowledge about beer to consumers and the trade.

I set up the Beer Consultancy (beerconsultancy.co.uk) to create an entertaining beer education programme for licensees and staff which aims to improve beer knowledge and quality at the point of sale. Customers have included pub companies (Black Country Ales, Punch Taverns) and breweries (Hobsons, Wye Valley) as well as individual pubs.

I set up the award winning pub magazine Pint Taken in 1995 and was the editor for a number of years.  In 2017 I established a new publishing and design company Catshill Design (design.catshill.com) to produce high quality magazines for pubs.

 

What do you like most about being a Guild of Beer Writers member?

The ability to network with like minded people, build my knowledge and contribute to the community.

• Punch Licensees find out about CAMRA

  An award winning pub in a Worcestershire village brought together a director from the UK’s largest beer and pub consumer organisation with licensees from the UK’s largest Pub Company.

  The workshop held on 23rd February 2017 at the Coach & Horses in Harvington near Evesham (2016 Worcestershire CAMRA pub of the year) was run for Punch Taverns, the UK’s largest pub owning company. Developed and run by Brett Laniosh who has set up an independent beer consultancy, it showed licensees how to work with CAMRA to benefit both their pubs and consumers alike.

  “CAMRA has so many great resources and materials that licensees can use to help them in their business and this workshop was a great way to show licensees the support available at a local, regional and national level from the organisation”, Brett explained.

  As well as taking away publicity materials and key information licensees were shown the free online pub guide WhatPub?. Licensees were largely unaware of the site and were shown full details of their pub in the guide including photos. Other areas of the workshop included, the National Beer Scoring Scheme and how pubs are selected for the Good Beer Guide, the Champion Beer of Britain, branch magazines and the benefit of joining the organisation.

  David Pawson, Head of External PR & Communications, Punch Taverns said, “Brett was a pleasure to work with through the process of organising the workshop, and the delivery was excellent and engaging. Brett has a very good knowledge of the Beer and Pub industry which showed through on the day and we hope we can work together again in the future.”

  Attending the workshop were licensees from the Nottingham Arms in Tewkesbury, Black Swan in Henley in Arden, Plough & Harrow in Leamington Spa, Sportsman Rest in Cardiff, Prince Albert in Stroud, Horse & Jockey in Sedgley, the Queens Head in Meriden and managers from Punch Taverns.

• Double celebration for the Ladybird

  Staff at a Bromsgrove pub recently enjoyed a double celebration, following two successful outcomes for their business.

  In August bar staff at The Ladybird Inn, in Aston Fields, successfully completed a specialist training programme all about beer. They were presented with their certificate on Wednesday September 13, by Brett Laniosh, a former CAMRA National Director who runs consultancy and training services for the licensed trade.

  Staff also learned their efforts to serve a perfect pint had been rewarded with a place in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2018 which was published on September 14.

  Manager Kate Byng was delighted that her hard-working team had received formal recognition for their efforts.

  She said: “We undertook the “All About Beer” training not only to learn more about the types of beer and how it is made, but also to find out about beer styles and how to keep a perfect pint. We would like to thank Brett Laniosh for running the course for us. Staff learnt about all aspects of beer and I have noticed how much more confident they are in talking about real ale to our customers. We are all delighted and very proud to be listed in the national Good Beer Guide.”

• Beer School at Hobsons Brewery

  Hobsons Brewery has teamed up with a former CAMRA National Director to create “Beer School”, a training programme for licensees looking to improve their knowledge about beer.

  The training course, which was delivered at Hobsons Brewery training centre by Brett Laniosh in November, covered beer styles and types including cask, key keg and bottles with a focus from the consumer’s perspective.

  Brett said, “Staff training is an important part of a beer education programme that shares good practice and improves customer service.  It is great to work with breweries, licensees and bar staff to raise awareness of beer by developing an education programme that is both informative and entertaining.”

• Wye Valley Brewery and Beer Consultancy team up

  Brett Laniosh Beer Consultancy has teamed up with Herefordshire family brewery Wye Valley to provide a programme of support and training for licensees and bar staff.

  Eleven days of training which began in February will take place during 2018 and will cover beer knowledge, quality, consumer awareness, cellar dispense and management. The practical course includes a tour of the brewery, an opportunity to try a range of Wye Valley beers and to pair them with a superb lunch.

  “Our trip to Wye Valley brewery was very educational. In particular, I feel we are taking away a better knowledge of tapping/venting and pairing with foods. Thank you!” James & Maria Ruddy, Anchor Inn, Tintern

  “This workshop is very useful and well worth attending; I will be sending all my staff to this workshop. They all need to know about the products and how to keep them e.g. for customer information and product quality.” Lisa Bircham, The Morgan, Malvern

  “Brilliant training and very relevant. Vernon & Brett are both very knowledgeable. Awesome lunch!” Natalie Kings, The Ladybird Inn, Bromsgrove

  “This course was very useful and I would highly recommend it to all of my public house friends.” Michelle Davis, The Wheatsheaf

  “A very useful workshop which filled gaps in my knowledge. I look forward to passing the things I learnt on to my colleagues.” Winnie Smith, The Salmon Inn, Berkeley

  “Really helpful whether you already know what you are doing or have never poured a pint.” Neil Foreman, The Anchor Inn