Glasses of beer From December 2019

Q&A: The future of brewing

Derek Orford joined us as head of brewing services earlier this year. He’s brought with him 36 years of experience in the industry, so it’s safe to say our master brewer understands the sector very well. We picked his brains during an interview to uncover the challenges and future of the brewing industry.

What challenges does the brewery sector face?

The challenges around sustainability continue to grow. These include reducing water and energy consumption and picking the right packaging materials. There’s also pressure on all brewers to develop great-tasting no/low alcohol products as demand for these grows.

What are you looking forward to working on?

I’ve carried out a lot of reasonably successful new product development work in the past which is always interesting and fun; I want us to do more, and not just in beer. Kombucha is a particularly exciting area in which we are growing our expertise.

What does the future hold for this industry?

We are in a kind of golden age of brewing with drinkers looking for more flavour and authenticity, but less volume and generally less alcohol. There are many new entrants and competition is fierce. Brewers need to have the right know-how in beer science and operations to make high-quality products consistently and at the right cost. At Campden BRI we have the right expertise to help

Derek is our primary contact for brewers, both large and small.

Contact: Derek Orford
+44(0)1737 824228
derek.orford@campdenbri.co.uk



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