Meet the Team
Next up in our meet the team series, it's Ewen!
Name:
Ewen Gordon
What do you do at the brewery?
Managing Director (anything and everything that needs to doing).
Start Date:
4th April 2011
What led you to a career in brewing?
Destiny and chance. Having worked most of my career in a combination of sales and hospitality, I visited the brewery in 2010 to see how my friend Tony Gartland was growing his business. At the time I was living in Melbourne running a events company, whilst managing a pub to pay the bills.
I had some spare time whilst in the UK and ended up helping out at the brewery for 2 weeks. Tony then offered me a job as Sales & Marketing manager which I accepted and 6 months later returned to the UK to help grow this fantastic business.
What was your first job?
Sales Manager
3 things you spend your time doing / 3 things you love
Spending time with my family
Keeping fit
Watching sport
Favourite Saltaire Beer?
Pilsner just edges it from Unity. There is something about a well crafted Pilsner that ticks all my boxes for beer. Light, refreshing, sessionable with a delicate hop profile and slight dryness. Amazing beer from a fantastic brewer, cheers Rob!
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever tried?
Impossible question!! Whilst touring Germany in 2012 I had a stein of a wonderful dark beer. Looked like muddy water, tasted like heaven. No idea what it was called, but taught me to never drink with my eyes 😉
What’s your drink of choice?
Other than beer, it has to be coffee. Must be made from fresh ground coffee beans, strong and thick.
What’s your favourite meal of choice?
Another impossible question as I love food.
For me my favourite meals involve choice. I’m a sharer and love any cuisine that involves that. Tapas, Indian, Thai, Chinese etc etc, all involve lots of choices in one sitting, heaven.
Where’s your top spot for a drink?
On top of a mountain on the ski slopes of New Zealand. Stick it on your bucket list, amazing.
If you had to describe Saltaire Brewery in three words, what would they be?
Genuine, honest, reliable
If you had to pick one place to visit on your bucket list, where would it be?
Not a specific place, but Canada. I’ve heard it being referred to as New Zealand on steroids. New Zealand is one of the most incredible places I have lived, so that makes Canada a must visit for me.
Your life motto in three words
Live, love, laugh
Your dinner party guest of choice
Michael Jordan
Meet Finn
Name
Finn Hannon Maxwell
What do you do at the brewery?
I am a Brewery Operative, I rack our beers into casks, clean tanks, move beer from fermentation tanks to conditioning tanks and clean the casks themselves.
Start Date (if you have left and returned, please give all dates)
May 2nd 2022
What led you to a career in brewing / packaging / production / sales / accounts / warehousing & distribution (please answer for your relevant area)
Wanted a complete change of scenery after working in hospitality for a few years, I was passionate about beer and brewing and wanted to learn something new, creative and exciting.
What was your first job?
Starbucks Barista at Glasgow Airport
3 things you spend your time doing / 3 things you love
Climbing Hills, POOL and most of all spending time with friends and family
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever brewed? (for the production team only)
None Yet!!
Favourite Saltaire Beer?
Mayflower (BRING IT BACK!)
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever tried?
Tennent Super 9%
What’s your drink of choice?
Cheap red wine preferably a malbec or an Irish coffee
What’s your favourite meal of choice? (Food pairing favourites are also encouraged)
Cauliflower nuggets and broccoli stew with a nice refreshingly cold bottle of DDH Citra
Where’s your top spot for a drink?
On the top of a munro
If you had to describe Saltaire Brewery in three words, what would they be?
Creative, Busy, Aromatic
If you had to pick one place to visit on your bucket list, where would it be?
Iceland Blue lagoon
Your life motto in three words
Sprint till the end
Your dinner party guest of choice
Dee (My mum)
Meet Tony
Name
Tony
What do you do at the brewery?
Management Accountant – dealing with the finances of the business and reporting to the management team.
Start Date
30/01/2017
What led you to a career in accounts?
The opportunity arose to train as an accountant, and what better place to do so than the brewery!
What was your first job?
Waiter
3 things you spend your time doing / 3 things you love
Watching movies, quizzes and playing table tennis
Favourite Saltaire Beer?
Unity
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever tried?
Unity
What’s your drink of choice?
Unity
What’s your favourite meal of choice?
Unity. NO! Sorry, I got carried away! This is such a tough question. I love all kinds of food. I suppose you can’t go wrong with a really good, home-cooked roast dinner. With Unity.
Where’s your top spot for a drink?
Anywhere where I am in good company. T’Tap is a good start, though.
If you had to describe Saltaire Brewery in three words, what would they be?
Work. Done. Right.
If you had to pick one place to visit on your bucket list, where would it be?
Galapagos Islands. I would love to see all the wildlife in its natural habitat.
Your life motto in three words
Just be nice.
Your dinner party guest of choice?
Terry Pratchett. That’s impossible now, sadly.
Meet Ben
Name
Ben Pearson
What do you do at the brewery?
I’m the Production Manager, so I look after the production team and organise the brewing schedule. Still get on the brew kit now and again to keep my eye in.
Start Date
October 2018.
What led you to a career in brewing?
I got into brewing after I finished University and wanted to find a job I would enjoy. I got some work washing casks for Roosters Brewery in 2014 and worked up to be a Trainee Brewer. I then got a Production Brewer job here at Saltaire in 2018 and in 2020 successfully applied for the position of Production Manager.
What was your first job?
Customer Service Assistant at the local Co-op.
3 things you spend your time doing / 3 things you love
- The yearly struggle of trying to get fit
- Scouring Netflix for something I haven’t watched
- Holidays in Cornwall. Warm weather, a book and a pint.
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever brewed?
- The first time I brewed Best as a brewer at Saltaire. It was my first recipe so felt like a big step forward in my career. Luckily it didn’t taste too bad, either.
Favourite Saltaire Beer?
- For my ego, see above answer.
- Got a soft spot for Citra, and Pilsner is muscling it’s way in for a top 3 finish.
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever tried?
Beers of note are definitely Roots.Rock.Reggae by Roosters Brewing Co. and Proper Job by St Austells.
What’s your drink of choice?
Bitters and Pale ales, but anything that makes you go back for another.
What’s your favourite meal of choice?
Can’t do better than a roast dinner, all the trimmings.
Where’s your top spot for a drink?
Any pub with an open fireplace and a Bitter on the bar.
If you had to describe Saltaire Brewery in three words, what would they be?
Cold In Winter
If you had to pick one place to visit on your bucket list, where would it be?
Norway, for the fjords and Northern Lights.
Your life motto in three words
Keep Moving Forward
Your dinner party guest of choice
Living or Dead? Living, I’d go for Bill Bailey, ridiculous sense of humour. Dead, Jesus, so I wouldn’t have to spend any money on wine.
Next up, it's Andy
Name:
Andy Watling
What do you do at the brewery?
Warehouse and distribution manager
Start Date:
March 2016
What led you to a career in warehousing & distribution?
I was in the printing industry for 23 years, working at the brewery has been a new challenge for me.
What was your first job?
Working for Ford Motor Company
3 things you spend your time doing / 3 things you love:
Holidays in the sun.
Having fun with friends.
Riding my Vespa.
Favourite Saltaire Beer?
Unity...
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever tried?
That’s tough. I’ve tried so many.
What’s your drink of choice?
A nice red wine
What’s your favourite meal of choice?
Anything Italian...
Where’s your top spot for a drink?
Majorca. Watching the sun go down.
If you had to describe Saltaire Brewery in three words, what would they be?
Friendly Hardworking, Dynamic
If you had to pick one place to visit on your bucket list, where would it be?
Australia for the state of origin..
Your life motto in three words
Enjoy each day.
Your dinner party guest of choice
Roger Daltrey
Meet Gemma
Name:
Gemma lister
What do you do at the brewery?
Sales Admin
Start Date:
16th March 2016
What was your first job?
I worked at Acorn Stairlifts in field sales
3 things you spend your time doing?
Spending time with my family, going for walks with family and our pup, going on Holiday
Favourite Saltaire Beer?
Saltaire Pilsner
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever tried?
Singha, the pale beer from Thailand!
What’s your drink of choice?
Gin and tonic
What’s your favourite meal of choice?
Home made curry
If you had to describe Saltaire Brewery in three words, what would they be?
My extended family, fun, exciting
If you had to pick one place to visit on your bucket list, where would it be?
New Zealand
Your life motto in three words
Conquer from within!
Your dinner party guest of choice?
Jim Carey
Say hi to Phil...
Name
Phil Riddle
What do you do at the brewery?
Sales Account Management
What led you to a career in sales?
Working in pubs since arriving in UK in 2001 I developed a passion for beer, got tired of pub life so looked for jobs in the beer industry and ended up as an Account Manager for Pig’s Ears before a change in personal circumstances required a shift to Yorkshire from London. I contacted Saltaire, who supplied Pig’s Ears, looking for a job and lucky for me they had a position at the time and here I am, still!
What was your first job?
Electronic Warfare Specialist in the Royal New Zealand Navy.
3 things you spend your time doing / 3 things you love
Travelling, running, eating good food!
Favourite Saltaire Beer?
Polarity in bottle, Unity on cask.
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever tried?
The beer that got me into beer many years ago, Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
What’s your drink of choice?
I love black IPA’s otherwise a classic West Coast IPA.
What’s your favourite meal of choice?
I love Mexican food, especially a dirty Burrito, pair it with our Full Tilt and you’re on to a winner!
Where’s your top spot for a drink?
Living in York I’m spoilt for choice, my favourites are The Pheonix, upstairs in the original Trembling Madness, Pivni and the Brew York Taproom (am I allowed to say that?!). And of course, our Saltaire Tap!
If you had to describe Saltaire Brewery in three words, what would they be?
Friendly, consistent quality
If you had to pick one place to visit on your bucket list, where would it be?
Seychelles Islands
Your dinner party guest of choice
Iggy Pop, he’d have some stories to tell!
Meet Bex.
Loves beer 🤝 works in a brewery. Packaging operative by day, real ale drinker by night, Bex started working at Saltaire in our Taproom in 2019 and has since moved to our packaging team. Her all-time favourite beer is Honeypot by Old Bear Brewery, but among her Saltaire favourites are Amarillo and Best. If you want to get to know her more, ask her about festivals, gigs and football. If you don’t find her in the pub, you’ll find her having a Sunday roast with her fiancée Debs and spending time with the cats.
Name
Bex Cowling
What do you do at the brewery?
Packaging Operative
Start Date
I worked in the Taproom from Dec 2019 and then moved to packaging in March 2020 at the start of lockdown.
What led you to a career in packaging?
It all started with the Saltaire Brewery Taproom, I had previously worked in hospitality for 12 years. I was only meant to be at the brewery for 6 months before going to open my own bar, but then Covid happened! This lead me to be put into the packaging team and I’ve been there ever since.
What was your first job?
I was a waitress at a local pub and helping out at a brewery (cask washing, racking etc.)
3 things you spend your time doing
Spending time with my fiancée and our cats. I also love going to festivals and gigs. I'm a huge Leeds United fan, so anytime I can I like to go watch them play.
Favourite Saltaire Beer?
Amarillo or Best, Mainline is definitely one of my favourites but it hasn’t made a comeback!
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever tried?
Honeypot from Old Bear Brewery
What’s your drink of choice?
Any real ale
What’s your favourite meal of choice?
Sunday Roast, with plenty of Yorkshire puddings
Where’s your top spot for a drink?
Locally, The Fox. When I’m in Leeds either Tapped or Belgrave
If you had to describe Saltaire Brewery in three words, what would they be?
Work, challenging, fun
If you had to pick one place to visit on your bucket list, where would it be?
Canada, New Zealand
Meet Dan.
Meet Dan, our Operations Director. Dan looks after the nuts and bolts of the business, including health and safety, HR support, payroll and our business transformation projects. Moving from banking to brewing, Dan became part of the team at Saltaire Brewery in 2017.
What led you to a career in brewing?
The opportunity came along to get involved in the business when it expanded into packaging. I was looking for a new challenge outside of the industry I was working in at the time, I have moved from the banking industry into brewing.
What was your first job?
Working at my uncle’s restaurant as a kitchen porter & waiter. Working there taught me the importance of hard work as there was no room for complacency in such an intense environment.
3 things you love to spend your time doing
Meditating
Swimming
Making / listening to electronic music
Favourite Saltaire Beer?
Blonde, of course
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever tried?
Tough question as I’ve tried a lot – but, I’m a big fan of DIPA’s as a style
What’s your drink of choice?
Coffee
What’s your favourite meal of choice?
Indian always goes down a treat, especially with a Helles, as its sweet crisp flavours blend well with the spice.
Where’s your top spot for a drink?
A sunny beach somewhere after a hard day’s surfing
If you had to describe Saltaire Brewery in three words, what would they be?
Fun, welcoming, dedicated
If you had to pick one place to visit on your bucket list, where would it be?
Hawaii
Your life motto in three words
Focus on the present (are four words allowed?!)
Your dinner party guest of choice
Joe Rogan
Meet Steph.
If you’ve ever visited our sales office, you might have been lucky enough to meet Steph. Part of the sales team, Steph looks after our export customers, ensuring our beer leaves Saltaire safely and gets around the world to places including Sweden, New Zealand and Singapore. She joined the team in 2017, following her experience in hospitality management.
What do you do at the brewery?
I'm part of the sales team, I look after our export customers as well as helping the rest of the team with sales admin.
Start Date
2nd January 2017
What led you to a career in brewing / packaging / production / sales / accounts / warehousing & distribution?
I covered maternity for 9 months…5 years later the rest is history
What was your first job?
My first job was when I was at college, doing weekend work. I worked in a Silver Service restaurant, which was the start of my career in the hospitality industry.
3 things you spend your time doing
Eating out!
Socialising
Being with my nephew – Arlo, squishy boy.
Favourite Saltaire Beer?
I'm not a beer drinker, but if I had to choose, it would be Citra
What’s your drink of choice?
Amaretto, Ginger Ale and Lime cordial Or Dark rum and Pepsi. Both with lots of ice.
What’s your favourite meal of choice?
Rare Steak, Fries, veg and a Mushroom Sauce paired with Yellow Tails' Jammy Red Roo.
If you had to describe Saltaire Brewery in three words, what would they be?
The whole business has really close teams, which is nice to be a part of.
If you had to pick one place to visit on your bucket list, where would it be?
Disneyland Florida or the Maldives
Your dinner party guest of choice
Ian Sommerholder – Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries!
Next time you’re popping down to the sales office, or when you next give us a call, why not say hello to Steph 👋.
Meet our Production Brewer, Przemek.
One of our production brewers since 2017, Przemek, also known at the brewery as Przemo, is a valued member of the Saltaire Brewery team. So you can get to know our team and the people that make Saltaire, we've been asking a few questions so you can get an insight into life at the brewery.
What was your first job?
My first job was as a baker or confectioner. I started working when I was 16, I always had a passion for cooking, but I'm a bit of a sweet tooth. So, I decided to get into baking. After few years I had to change the industry because of my allergy to flour. From then I started searching for another job that would become my passion. All of this was back home in Poland. After coming to the UK in 2017 when I got a chance to start working in brewing, I quickly realised that brewing would become my job of a lifetime.
3 things you love spending your time doing
I love good food, love studying about beer, birdwatching.
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever brewed?
California, my own recipe. I hope to brew it again, it’s a nice cask beer.
Favourite Saltaire Beer?
Amarillo.
What’s your favourite beer you’ve ever tried?
I really like freeze distilled beers from Browar Spoldzielczy.
Where’s your top spot for a drink?
I like to enjoy my drink outside, close to the nature. Drinking alfresco gives me a chance to relax and reset after hard day. I'm a green guy and love nature, I like looking at the stars at night as well. This is why outside is the best place to enjoy those things.
What’s your drink of choice?
Nice aged whiskey/bourbon.
What’s your favourite meal of choice? (Food pairing favourites are also encouraged)
Beef steak.
If you had to describe Saltaire Brewery in three words, what would they be?
Home, fun, chaos!
Your dinner party guest of choice
The first would be, Stephen Hawking. My hobby is science, I have a lot of books about cosmos. Stephen Hawking would be the best person to chat about universe, black holes, quantum physics, theory of strings.
Second, Robert Kubica. He is the 1st polish F1 driver, I like motorsport and always wanted to see a proper race. Watching F1 races is like a hobby. Robert is a great driver, after his accident in 2011 he came back to driving, his persistence and passion is unbelievable. I admire him for that. He shows that everything is possible you just need to try and do it.
Lastly, Ricky Gervais. I really like his sense of humour, he is really direct with his jokes. He is really straight forward in life, always wanted to have a little bit of his way of thinking. Life would be much easier If you wouldn’t give a damn about some things 😊
We hope you enjoyed getting to know Przemo, keep your eyes peeled for the next team member.
