I began my career as a chef at the age of 16 studying professional cookery at Canterbury college. I worked in many restaurants and hotels throughout my career and this is where Tom, Ian and I met and formed a strong friendship. We would regularly visit the pub and this extended into our lives when as some of us began families but we still ensured we met one night a week for a beer. As a childhood friend of Tom’s, Patrick soon joined us at our Beer Moots!!!

In 2008 I discovered homebrewing and started brewing from kits of malt extract and sugar. I quickly realised that the beers could be a lot better quality if I used fresh ingredients and I brewed all grain. Not having a lot of expendable cash I built a rudimentary homebrew system using plastic buckets, a picnic cooler and some copper pipe. I quickly became addicted to the hobby and was ever striving for a better beer. It soon became apparent to us that I was destined to do this for a living and that we should begin our own brewery. However family commitments and lack of finances held us back. 

In 2010 I made a big career change into teaching Professional cookery where I developed some excellent skills in delivering lessons. In March 2016 I then stumbled upon the London Beer Lab in Brixton where I could deliver sessions on how to make beer putting my skills as a teacher and brewer together. I absolutely loved teaching others the craft of making beer and learnt so much from the directors and head brewer Karl and Bruno. In 2021 I was offered the position of assistant brewer in the production facility of London Beer Lab where I have now learnt the skills needed to produce real ales and craft beer on a large scale.

Calvin