Viva Brighton Issue #80 October 2019

INTERVIEW
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Emma Inch
Founder of Brighton & Hove Beer Week
How is Brighton’s beer scene changing?
Previously, there was very little brewing
going on in Brighton and Hove compared to
other cities. There aren’t many old industrial
buildings in Brighton, whereas in other parts
of the UK, perhaps it’s easier to get an old
industrial unit. And we have very high rents
here – so good on our local brewers for doing
it. Part of the reason for Beer Week was to
show that Brighton and Hove’s brewing scene
has really grown.
You founded Brighton and Hove Beer Week
in 2018. What were the highlights this year?
All seven of Brighton and Hove’s breweries
came together to brew a collaboration ale,
released exclusively for the festival. It was called
Provenance, and it was a Rhubarb and Ginger
saison. They used local rhubarb from one of
the brewer’s allotments. It was a really, really
nice beer – people loved it.
How do you hope our brewing scene will
develop? What are you excited about? I
guess it’s about recognising how powerful
beer tourism can be as a way of selling a city,
and for attracting people to come down and
visit. In Sussex, we've got way more beers
per head than they have in London – it’s so
brilliant that we have Harvey’s and Burning
Sky just up the road. I’m also really pleased
with Unbarred, who are new on the scene in
Brighton. Jordan Mower, the head brewer, he’s
a creative, interesting brewer who works really
collaboratively.
Your job sounds fantastic! How did you
become a beer journalist? Writing was always
what I wanted to do. Previously I worked
in mental health, which I loved, and I used
to write for academic journals. I also had a
Rockabilly music show on Radio Reverb. And
then the whole beer thing started to happen,
and Radio Reverb allowed me to do a beerthemed
show, which became the first regular
beer show on FM radio. And that sort of grew
bigger and bigger – it was released on podcasts,
and I won the Best Beer Writer Online. That
encouraged me to start pitching to write for
magazines. And it kind of snowballed from
there!
And last year you were named British Beer
Writer of the Year! It sounds like beer
writing is so much about storytelling… I
rarely write about what a beer actually tastes
like. Occasionally I do, but most of what I write
about is the story of who made it, where the
ingredients are from, what kind of beer it is,
and what it says.
Favourite pubs in Brighton? I have a really
soft spot for the Basketmakers Arms. I love the
feeling in there, as if time can
stand still for a little bit and
you can ignore what’s going
on in the world, with all
the tins on the wall with
handwritten notes inside.
As told to Rose Dykins
Emma produces and
presents an audio
magazine. Listen at
fermentationradio.com
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