Woodforde’s appoints new head brewer

Taubman has taken on the brewhouse reins at Woodforde’s Brewery, based in Woodbastwick in the Norfolk Broads, as the business – known for its Wherry Amber Ale – looks to accelerate growth plans.

The head brewer previously worked at Midlands outfit Purity​ for 10 years where he developed a love for cask ale. Before that, he worked for numerous craft breweries and brewing giant MillerCoors in California, in the US.

He also studied brewing at the prestigious Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago and has won five Great American Beer Festival medals for his brews.

He said: “It’s great to be here. I’m really excited to get going.

“I already knew about the brewery and have holidayed around here a few times. I was always really impressed by the beer and the kit they had – so when the job became available, I was like ‘oh yeah’.”

Great challenge​

Taubman continued: “I wasn’t really looking for a new job at the time. But this is a great challenge.

“I want to see Woodforde’s grow and expand its diversity of beers to build on the successes of customer favourites like Wherry, Volt IPA and Nelson’s Revenge.”

Taubman added he has been amazed by the history of the award-winning Broadland brewery and the scale of the operations.

One item of particular interest is the brewery’s older, wooden mash tun – a vessel used to mix water and grain to create wort, the sugary solution that is then fermented to create beer.

He explained: “Not many breweries have two brewhouses and not many have something like our old wooden mash tun – I’ve only ever seen maybe one other example like it before.

“It has been repurposed from an industrial cleaner 30 years ago. I showed it to my American craft brewer friends and they were all like ‘what?!’ – they’re amazed something like it exists.

“It’s a beautiful old antique and emphasises the craftiness Woodforde’s has. It really showcases the personality of the brewery – we’re not some big faceless brewery.”

Depth of knowledge​

He continued: “Having the smaller brewhouse and the mash tun makes it so easy to make short-run brews and introduce new varieties. We also have a bigger modern brewhouse for larger runs.

“But the best thing about this place is the people, amazing people. I’ve got two brewers who have been here for 30 years and other team members for 15 or 20 – an incredible depth of knowledge.”

Among Taubman’s first tasks is overseeing the launch of Woodforde’s new Brewer Signature Range – highlighting a different member of the team and their own unique beer creations every month.

February’s offering is the head brewer’s own Hopstar, a 3.4% ABV session IPA using dextrin and oats together with Cryo hops for a “delicious citrussy flavour and a taste more characteristic of a 4.5% beer”.

Woodforde’s CEO Joe Parks added: “We are delighted to welcome Aaron to the Woodforde’s team.

“Aaron will be supported by our new deputy head brewer Craig Bennett, who has over 30 years’ brewing experience, alongside our long-serving brewing team who share great pride in the rich history of our brewery.

“We look forward to tasting his creations to complement our famous traditional range of beers.”