Craft Brewery: From 7 Barrels to over 4 Million Pints a Year

By the Midland Section

The IBD Midland Section invites members and guests to a brewery tour & social at Titanic Brewery, Stoke on Trent.

We will meet at the brewery for a tour at 18:00, which includes a talk from Keith Bott (Director of Titanic Brewery) on the history of the brewery, how the company has developed - including how it has become the multiple award winning brewery it is today - and what they have planned for the future. Afterwards we will go to the Bulls Head, down the road from the Brewery for a bite to eat and a beer. There will be lots of chances for networking and questions.

Speaker:

• Keith Bott, Director of Titanic Brewery

Born in Stafford in 1967 and educated at the local comprehensive Keith Bott left school at the age of 18 and began learning how to brew beer by visiting the new wave of local brewers in and around the Midlands, before becoming the assistant brewer at Titanic Brewery in late 1985. When Titanic Brewery went out of business in 1988 Keith joined forces with his brother David to buy the company out of receivership. Titanic Brewery has gone from brewing 14 barrels a week to producing nearly 4 million pints of beer per year. In 1996 Staffordshire County Council appointed Keith as the head brewer at Shugborough Estate, home to Lord Lichfield, to demonstrate the art of brewing using a two and a half barrel log fired Victorian brewery, to the general public.

Keith Bott joined the ruling Council of The Society of Independent Brewers in 1994 and has had an active role in helping to run the society since then, in particular he had a leading role in convincing the government to introduce Small Brewers Relief in 2002. Keith also took over as Chairman of the Society in the same year. After a four-year stint in the Chair Keith became President of SIBA in 2006 a position from which he continued to lead SIBA’s political campaign, in 2009 Keith was re-elected as Chairman of SIBA until he retired in 2014. Keith was also Chairman of the Midlands section of the BBPA from 2009-2011 and was Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group’s steering committee between 2010-2013 and again between 2015 and 2017. Keith is also currently the President of PubAid.

Keith was awarded an MBE in the 2017 New Years Honours for his contribution to the brewing industry and the Staffordshire economy.

Keith lives with his wife Lucy and his two children Estee and Cebe. He enjoys golf and skiing when time allows but considers quality control a serious hobby. Not yet officially retired from his rugby career it is well documented that the older he gets the better he was!

Why You Should Attend:

• To learn more about Titanic Brewery and its history since being established in 1985
• Network and make new contacts
• Ask questions to the founder of Titanic, Keith Bott, about the brewery's growth

Parking:

• Parking is available at the Brewery

Tickets: Free.

Booking deadline: TUESDAY, 27 June 2023.