Tony's new book release!

Meet Tony, our Chairman and author of Bodies in the Water...

The beginnings of Saltaire Brewery

Tony set up Saltaire Brewery in 2005, before the term ‘craft beer’ existed, and ahead of the wave of micro-brewers that followed in the UK. He had been travelling in the USA around the turn of the millennium, and while the most exciting beer we had in the UK at that time was probably Black Sheep, still essentially a traditional British bitter, he was blown away by the variety, interest and flavour of independently and locally made beer, in a forward thinking and exciting scene. He foresaw that this revolution would cross the Atlantic, and so it did, taking the number of breweries in this country from 500 to over 2500, in just ten years.

His role in the business now

Although Tony doesn’t work in the business every day any more, he still keeps a hand firmly on the tiller. Still the majority owner of the business, his interest in ensuring a successful future remains, and the brewery is grateful for his experience and knowledge of both beer and business finding its way through in a highly-competitive environment.

Favourite Saltaire beer

Saltaire Best. Tony grew up in the North East, where best bitter was the predominant style, and our version happily takes him back to those days.

Favourite things to do and Tony's life in Malta

Tony is an explorer, and living in Malta, on the southern-most tip of Europe, at the doorstep of North Africa, has given him the chance to do just that. Not just the history and culture of this historic area, but also physically getting around the island of Malta on his mountain bike, discovering its wild and beautiful rocky coastline and landscape.

His new book

As if helping lead and develop a growing and evolving brewery from two thousand miles away wasn’t enough, Tony has launched his latest career, a writer of international thrillers. Under the name AJ Aberford, Tony introduces us to Inspector George Zammit, an unwilling Maltese police inspector, whose path collides with a powerful crime family, a Libyan militia leader and a reluctant money launderer, with surprising consequences. Upon moving to Malta, Tony soon became enthralled by the culture and history of the island that acts as a bridge between Europe and North Africa, which provides a rich backdrop for his writing. The first book in the series, Bodies in the Water, has just been released.

Visit his website here, to find out more and download a free copy of one of Tony's e-Book.