Arkell's Brewery employs first female sign writer

Bromley, who has A levels in art, textiles and maths from New College, Swindon, will begin the two-year training in September, but the brewery was so keen to have her she picked up her paint brushes and started last week.

The apprenticeship is in painting and decorating, the closest qualification to brewery signwriting, and Bromley will be taught by Ron Harper, who has worked at the brewery for decades and is retiring at the end of the year.

She said: “It’s a fabulous opportunity to do something I love, and a pretty unique thing to do too. I love painting and it will be wonderful to learn the traditional craft of signwriting for a family brewery.”

Brewery director George Arkell added that he was “thrilled” to have Sarah on board.

“She’ll be a central part of our brewery painting and decorating team,” he said. “They play an essential role in making Arkell’s unique. There are very few other breweries who still employ signwriters - most use modern printing methods for their signs - but like the way we brew beer, we prefer to keep the traditional methods which have, so far, stood the test of time and make our pubs stand out from the crowd.”