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Matthew Curtis

He/Him
Writer, Photographer, and editor-in-chief at Pellicle Magazine.
  • Full member
  • North West
  • BSc (Hons) Media Producton with Music Technology, First Class Award
  • Pellicle Magazine, CAMRA, BGBW, NAGBW, Community
  • Writing, Photography, Editing, Proofreading and Subbing, Podcast/Audio editing, Publishing, Event Planning

What you can offer as a writer/beer lover?

Matthew Curtis is a freelance writer and photographer based in Manchester, England. He specialises in writing about beer, pubs and the culture that stems from them, and has written for various publications including Vittles, Novara Media, BEER, Ferment and Good Beer Hunting. In 2019, he founded online magazine and podcast Pellicle with his friend Jonathan Hamilton, for which he is editor-in-chief. Born in Lincoln, Matthew grew up in rural Lincolnshire before attending the University of Teesside in Middlesbrough, after which he relocated to London where he lived for 15 years while discovering his enthusiasm for all things beer. In 2020 he relocated to Manchester, where he fell in love with the city, and its rich beer and pub culture. He is the author of An Opinionated Guide to London Pubs (Hoxton Mini Press, 2021) and Modern British Beer (CAMRA Books, 2021). His latest book, Manchester’s Best Beer, Pubs and Bars (CAMRA Books, 2023) is out now.

Pieces of work by Matthew:

  • Everything in its Right Place — The Brewery of St. Mars of the Desert, Sheffield

    “E Ipsum Verum.”

    Hand-painted in white, these words hang on the sky blue walls that house the production side of The Brewery of St. Mars of the Desert in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Directly below them a long, slender, stainless steel vessel—referred to in this brewery as a koelschip (pronounced: coolship)—is collecting hot, sticky brown wort from today’s brew. After a few weeks of fermentation and conditioning, it’ll become a Belgian-style saison called Fieldmouse’s Farewell…

  • Where the Wild Things Are — The Joy of Harvey’s Sussex Best

    In Lewes they refer to the 19th-century tower that forms the tallest part of Harvey’s Brewery as The Cathedral. And if you stand on the bridge spanning the River Ouse in the centre of this Sussex town—nestled among the verdant South Downs—you might be lucky enough to catch the scent of sweet barley malt, as brewers mash in a brew of what will more-than-likely be a fresh batch of Harvey’s Sussex Best…

  • Modern British Beer

    Matthew Curtis maps the evolution of Modern British Beer through the intricate stories of individual regional beers. He gives a personal insight into the eclectic and exciting world of Modern British Beer from a choice of 86 influential brews; from how they taste, how their ingredients are sourced, to the engaging stories of the people behind the scenes working hard to bring exciting beer to drinkers all over Britain.

    “A beauty and a triumph… An incredibly engaging read.” — Claire Bullen, Editor-in-Chief Good Beer Hunting

    “A sparkling sense of where beer in the UK is at the moment.” — Adrian Tierney-Jones

    “If you’re looking for a primer on the best independently-produced British beers available today, you’re in luck.” — Will Hawkes

  • Manchester's Best Beer, Pubs and Bars

    This guide will introduce you to Manchester’s beer scene and guide you around the long-established as well as new, exciting pubs, bars, breweries, and more.

    With an introduction by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham this book will set a marker for any beer enthusiast’s exploration of the North-West.

    From traditional pubs serving top-quality cask ale, to the latest on-trend bottle shop bars and funky brewery taprooms, Manchester is bursting with great beer and this new book will direct you to the very best.

    “Curtis’s knowledge of his chosen subject/passion/delight is infectious, his enthusiasm bursts from every page.” — Jonathan Schofield, Manchester Confidential