Adnams' farewell to award-winning head brewer

l Retiring: Adnams' head brewer for the past 18 years,
Dr Mike Powell-Evans

June 14, 2008: Award-winning head brewer and current British Guild of Beer Writers' brewer if the year, Dr Mike Powell-Evans, has retired from Adnams after 18 years at the helm of its brewing operation.

During his time as head brewer Adnams has won a number of regional, national and international awards for its beers, and Mike's hard work has contributed to Adnams becoming one of the fastest growing beer brands in the UK.

Other accolades during his time with the company include Adnams' Bitter being awarded the Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA's) champion beer of East Anglia in 2007, and Broadside being voted best strong bitter at the 2003 Great British Beer Festival.

Mike has never been afraid to innovate with new varieties of hops and grains, producing beers such as Explorer, Innovation and Spindrift that have now become favourites in the Adnams range.

He began his career in 1972, at Bass, in Burton, where he worked in most areas of the brewery. He gained his diploma from the Institute of Brewing in 1975 and was quickly promoted to head brewer at Bass.

In line with Adnams' commitment to the environment, Mike has most recently involved in the creation of East Green, the UK's first carbon-neutral beer, which is brewed out of aphid-resistant hops and local high-yielding barley.

He has also been instrumental in the modernisation of the production stream, firstly with the installation of new fermentation vessels, and more recently with the complete eco-efficient refit of the brewery.

Adnams chairman, Jonathan Adnams, said: "Mike has been a great credit to the company and his expertise and commitment to traceability, excellence and integrity has maintained Adnams' status as a high-quality brewer throughout the last 18 years.

"There are few as passionate about English beer as Mike, who certainly deserves his reputation as a celebrated brewer of great tasting beers."

Mike said: "Being a brewer has to be the best career possible, and working for Adnams has to be the plum job.

"I have really enjoyed the freedom to maintain the heritage of classic Adnams beers whilst progressing with new products and raw materials — especially new hop varieties!

"Overseeing the installation of the new brewhouse has been a terrific experience, but now is the right time to hang up my saccharometer and turn my efforts to the garden."

As a retirement gift the Adnams engineers made Mike a sundial crafted from the Number One plate from the Victorian mash tun, this having been replaced by the new brewhouse.