MASTERING THE MALT
Laura Riley chats to Ffion Jones, the first female brewer in Brains Brewery’s long and distinguished history.
Brains SA is a uniquely Welsh brand familiar to almost everyone thanks largely to its appearance (from 2004-2010) on the shirts of Welsh rugby players and fans alike. Currently the official ale of the WRU, the Cardiff brewery has managed so much since it started brewing in 1882, but now, 130 years on, Brains have finally welcomed their first female brewer to the family.
Earlier this year, 26-year-old Ffion Jones passed her brewing exams to become the first female brewer (or Brewster) at the Cardiff-based firm, a move she describes as happening organically. “I started working at Brains four years ago as a marketer. Part of my role was to work with the beer range. I developed a love for beer, which naturally turned into a curiosity about how it was made.”
Brains opened a craft brewery in May 2012, which gave Ffion her first brewing experience, starting her on the road she continues down today. “Being a small, 10-barrel plant it’s very hands on so it was a good place to learn. Bill, our head brewer, tested my curiosity by enrolling me on the Institute Of Brewing And Distilling foundation course, which I passed in January, giving me my first step on the brewing ladder.”
Historically, women were the brewers of the family, commonly known as Brewsters, but like most industries, it became male-dominated. We’re now beginning to see a shift from this. Ffion has expressed great pride in becoming the first female brewer at Brains, and hopes more women will be inspired to follow in her footsteps. “It’s great to see more and more women drinking beer these days. We now have a wealth of Brewsters in the brewing industry, alongside female beer writers, and beer sommeliers.”
According to Ffion, the growing appeal of beer, not just in Wales but across the UK, is largely down to its adaptability. “There’s so much fun to be had with beer – it can be matched with all foods and suit all occasions. It’s not as unhealthy as popular perceptions may think. A typical 4.5% beer has less calories than a glass of wine.”
Although she’s revelling in her new position, Ffion is involved in more than just the brewing process at Brains. “I still do my work in the marketing department alongside this. The duality if great. I can see the process through from start to finish – researching the beer style and recipe, brewing, branding, marketing. I get to see it from the start, right through to the bar.”
Anyone who attended last year’s Great Welsh Beer Festival would have had the chance to sample some original recipe Brains SA. Stronger than today’s SA, it proved popular at the festival, and soon sold out. However, according to Ffion, we probably won’t see it in our shops any time soon. “We brew that especially for beer festivals. At 6.5% it’s stronger than today’s SA at 4.2% but you never know, we may look to bring it out again at a festival in the future.”
Well-known for their seasonal beers which are typically Welsh in name: Milkwood, Bread Of Heaven, Organ Morgan for example, their new craft brewery has given way to increased experimentation with a varied range of beers. Since opening ten months ago, they’ve already brewed 18 new styles. “I’m very excited about the latest one: Bragging Rights. It’s based on an old Welsh style of beer called bragawd; it’s somewhere between mead and beer as it is know today and It has a whole heap of honey and a blend of different spices in there.”
Reflecting on 130 years of experience and success, Ffion sees Brains’ continued popularity quite simply. “Britain has a great history of brewing and at Brains we have heritage and well-established beers that we can be proud of. We also work hard brewing new beers to suit modern styles. Thanks to this and our sponsorship of Welsh rugby, there’s an incredible passion for our beers.”
Info: www.brainscraftbrewery.com
