The Craft Academy, a brewing venture led by apprentices, has been launched by Greene King.
The Craft Academy helps craft new talent and unbottle potential by giving young people the chance to earn while they learn about brewing, design, marketing and sales. With the help of experienced mentors, the 18 month course teaches participants industry-specific skills as they work towards a bespoke apprenticeship qualification, all while creating beers under the Craft Academy brand and bringing them to market.
The first Craft Academy course is already underway, with two apprentices playing a crucial role in the launch, sales and marketing of its first range of beers and in the creation of future core, seasonal and limited edition products.
The first five beers from the Craft Academy will officially debut at Craft Beer Rising 2017 and include; Over Easy (3.8% session IPA), Big Bang IPA (5.6% bold and citrusy IPA), Bitter Sweet (6% black IPA), Desert Ryeder (4.8% rye beer) and High & Dry (5% dry hop lager).
George Johnston, Brewing and Brands marketing director at Greene King, said: “The Craft Academy gives young people the chance to learn in-depth about each component of the brew process, right from creating the recipe and designing the branding to marketing and selling the beers. We’re really pleased to support this venture, which helps young people to realise their passion for beer and brewing while working to secure a professional qualification.”
Nancy Nangle, 25, Craft Academy apprentice, said: “I’ve always been interested in beer, so being part of the Craft Academy and getting to work on new and eclectic brews is fantastic. It’s been amazing to work on the launch of the first range of products, and we’ve got great plans to come.”
Dan Scott, 24, Craft Academy apprentice, added: “It’s been really exciting to get so involved in the process, and there’s so much more to it than meets the eye. We’ve been learning the ropes for the past few months and we’re really excited to take the first range to Craft Beer Rising.”
The beers can already be found in selected pubs and venues, with plans to launch them into other outlets and retailers. Applications will open for further apprentices to join the programme in future.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Photo captions:
- Craft Academy beer range in bottles
- Craft Academy apprentices, Nancy Nangle and Dan Scott
- Craft Academy apprentices, Dan Scott and Nancy Nangle
For more information on the Craft Academy please visit:
- unbottlingpotential.co.uk, Facebook:/UnbottlingPotential, Twitter: @UnbottlingPTNL, Instagram: @unbottlingpotential
Greene King
- Greene King was founded in 1799 and is headquartered in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. It currently employs 44,000 people across its main trading businesses; Pub Company, Pub Partners and Brewing & Brands.
- It operates 3,000 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland, of which c.1,800 are retail pubs, restaurants and hotels, and 1,200 are tenanted, leased and franchised pubs. Its leading retail brands include Hungry Horse, Farmhouse Inns, Chef & Brewer, Flaming Grill and the Greene King Local Pubs estate.
- Greene King also brews quality ale brands from its Bury St. Edmunds and Dunbar breweries, and is the UK’s leading cask ale brewer and premium ale brewer with brands such as Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale and Belhaven Best.
- Since Greene King launched its apprenticeship programme in 2011, the business has supported over 8,700 apprentices achieve a qualification
- The scheme offers bespoke qualifications the cover a range of job roles – front of house, kitchen and management
For more information, contact the Greene King press office at pressoffice@greeneking.co.uk or call 0345 600 4898.