Brewer | History Buff | Creator of Beers You’ll Never Forget (Even If You Try)Meet the Brewer: Scott Bryan

Joining Everards three years ago was “the best decision I ever made” according to Scott, who swapped office life for a career in beer.

“Before working here, I was a database technician for another local company, and I didn’t enjoy office work. I wanted to get out and do something a bit more physical, a bit more applied,” he explains. “I’m a local lad, I’ve always lived nearby, so I used to drive past the old Everards site every day. Then I noticed on the Government website that they were taking on a new apprentice, and I thought it would be a fantastic opportunity to try something different and apply myself to something new.”

Talking about the day-to-day work in which he’s involved, Scott continues: “We all bounce around all the jobs and it’s normally a six-week rota. A couple of weeks, you’ll be down on the packaging line, so you might be filling casks or kegs, operating the forklift or washing casks and kegs, then some weeks you might be brewing beer on the big kit.

“Some of the younger guys, myself included, also take shifts in the lab. That involves testing the beer at every stage and I do enjoy that side of things. Occasionally, we also operate the small batch brewery, where we write our own recipes and come up with our own ideas,” says Scott, pointing out the Black Forest stout he created, which is currently fermenting.

“It’s very nearly done – and it already tastes pretty good. It’s got about £50-worth of frozen fruit in it, which took me a few hours to juice!”

According to Scott, creating new beers is part of the job that he really loves, especially as it enables him to draw on his interests in chemistry and history. “I enjoy getting creative and I try to be as out of the box as possible with it! I’ve done a Medieval beer; I’ve done old Finnish beers. I love anything that’s a bit awkward for us to brew” he smiles.

Scott says he’s particularly interested in looking into historical recipes and revitalising things that you don’t see on the shelves anymore. “During the Tudor period, particularly during the reign of Henry VIII, when we were at war with France, hops were banned from coming to the UK, because they were mainly a French export. At that time in England, a lot of herbal flavours were used and other things that would provide the antiseptic quality of hops, so juniper berries and rosemary, and then spiced with cinnamon, clove, black pepper, tarragon and caraway – things that were starting to come through The Silk Road.”

Scott’s Medieval beer, Ye Olde Ale, was produced just before Christmas 2024. “I think it’s the most Marmite beer we’ve ever produced” says Scott. “There was a real swing on the general opinion of it, but I was really pleased with it and hopefully they’ll let me do another one in the future.”

According to Scott, he loves any beer that comes out of Belgium, especially the fruit beers, such as Saison and Lambic. “My favourite beer at the minute has to be Rodenbach Alexander. It’s a soured Flemish red that they add sour cherries to and age it in barrels. I think it’s absolutely fantastic.”