Episode #050 | Jaega Wise Interviews Natalya Watson, Host of the 'Beer with Nat' Podcast
Beer with Nat
For this final episode of the ‘Beer with Nat’ podcast, we’re going full circle… all the way back to Episode #001. Today’s guest is Jaega Wise, Head Brewer at and my very first guest when the show kicked off in November 2018. We start by checking in with Jaega on what she’s been up to since then, including seeing the brewery through the pandemic, launching their new barrel program, and . (Yep, she’s been busy!) Then, as a thank you to Jaega for helping me get the show off the ground all those years go… she gets to turn the tables and interview me! We chat all...
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Episode #049 | Helen Anne Smith, Founder of Burum Collective
Beer with Nat
Today’s guest is Helen Anne Smith (they/them), Founder of Burum Collective. We start by discussing what is all about, what inspired Helen to set it up during the first pandemic lockdown in 2020, the resources they offer currently and what their goals are for the future. Then we get into what keeps Helen busy alongside Burum, including part-time roles as a bartender and in sales and marketing for Wilderness Brewery and Welsh Mountain Cider. Finally, Helen lets us in on what they were up to before beer, how they got their start in the beer industry, and, of course, what...
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Episode #048 | Maia Kazaks, European Events Manager at Barth-Haas
Beer with Nat
Today’s guest is Maia Kazas, European Events Manager at global hop company Barth-Haas. To start, Maia tells us what Barth-Haas does, what her role as events manager entails and how her work was impacted by the pandemic, given that most of the activities she’d normally be organizing were put on hold the past two years. Maia then shares what she was up to before beer and how she made her transition into the beer industry – more specifically, into working with hops. You’ll get to hear all about her experience working on a hop farm in New Zealand and what it was like for her to move from...
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Episode #047 | Lucie Dallas, General Manager of The Griffin Whetstone
Beer with Nat
Today’s guest is Lucie Dallas, General Manager of in Whetstone, North London. To start, Lucie tells us what her day-to-day work life as a pub GM looks like, including a run-down of the different tasks on her to-do list and the skills she thinks it takes to really excel in her role. We then discuss what it was like to see the pub – her business, her team and her customers – through all of the pandemic-related challenges of the last two years. Finally, Lucie shares what she was up to before beer, the different roles she’s held during her time in the beer industry and, of course, what...
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Episode #046 | Helena Adedipe, Co-Founder of Eko Brewery
Beer with Nat
Today’s guest is Helena Adedipe, Co-Founder of . To start, Helena tells us what inspired her and her husband, Anthony, to set up the business in 2019 and talks us through some of the unique ingredients and considerations behind their distinctive African-inspired beers. We then discuss what her role looks like today and what keeps Helena busy outside the brewery, as she still maintains a full-time role as a financial crime consultant. You may think that role might not have much to do with beer, but Helena lets us in on some of the skills she’s brought from her day job into her beer career....
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Episode #045 | Ruth Mitchell, Operations Director at Elusive Brewing
Beer with Nat
Today’s guest is Ruth Mitchell, Operations Director at Elusive Brewing. Ruth has been with for just about a year now, but her promotion to Operations Director was relatively recent. As the role was still very new when we spoke, she tells us a bit about what her current day-to-day looks like, the vision for the future, and what her previous role as Head of Sales, Marketing and Events entailed. We then go all the way back to the beginning of Ruth’s career in beer which has seen her work in sales roles for breweries including Adnams, Charles Wells, West Berkshire, Utopian and now Elusive....
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Episode #044 | Lana Svitankova, Beer Writer, Translator, and Brewery Ambassador for Varvar Brew
Beer with Nat
Today’s guest is Lana Svitankova, a beer writer, translator, beer judge and brewery ambassador for Varvar Brew in Kyiv, Ukraine. Before we get into what we chatted about, I thought it best to mention when we chatted. Lana and I recorded in mid-December 2021, just two months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Given the current situation, I checked in with Lana to make sure she was comfortable with me sharing our conversation as planned and she felt there was no need to postpone it, suggesting instead that the episode may help draw attention to the country, its people and...
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Episode #043 | Pip Young, Founder of The Coven Brewsters
Beer with Nat
Today’s guest is Pip Young, founder of The Coven Brewsters and Brewery Manager at Salt Beer Factory. To start, Pip tells us about her business, 30 Six Co, and the projects it encompasses, including Flour to the People and . You’ll hear all about what she’s accomplished so far and her exciting plans for the year ahead. We also discuss her role as Brewery Manager at Salt Beer Factory and the collaboration brew that brought both of her worlds together. Finally, Pip shares her advice on how to get into the beer industry and what she enjoys most about being a part of it. (Just a quick heads...
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Episode #042 | Emma Heal, Managing Director of Lucky Saint
Beer with Nat
Today’s guest is Emma Heal, Managing Director of , the UK’s biggest dedicated alcohol-free beer brand with the aim to “inspire the world to drink better.” Emma tells us what a Managing Director does and what it was like to take on her role at Lucky Saint in February 2020… just one month before the pandemic began. We then take a deep dive into the business: the incredible growth Lucky Saint has seen (growing 150% year on year), who their customers are, and what sets the brand apart from the other no- and low-products on the market. Finally, Emma talks us through her career to date...
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Episode #041 | Allison Macdonald, Head Brewer at Malt Shovel Brewers
Beer with Nat
Today’s guest is Allison Macdonald, Head Brewer at in Sydney, Australia. We start by discussing what Alli’s day-to-day role looks like and her favourite part of the job, then we get into what inspired her to become a brewer and how she made it happen. Alli also tells us about her three-year tenure as the President of the Australian chapter of the , the advice she has for others looking to get into brewing and, of course, what she enjoys most about being a part of the beer industry. Here’s Alli…
info_outlineWelcome to this Beer with Nat mini-series!
On every episode of Beer with Nat, I share a beer and a chat with people who do what they love for a living. But, this mini-series is a little different.
Instead of chatting with women who work in the beer industry, like I normally do… this time, I’m chatting with women who don’t.
Why? To show that it’s not just women who work in beer that love it.
Over the next four episodes, I chat with an actress, archivist, podcaster and broadcaster, not only about their careers and what it’s like to do work that they love for a living, but why beer is their beverage of choice.
Today’s guest is Saoirse-Monica Jackson, actress best known for her role as Erin Quinn in Derry Girls. Saoirse tells us how she got into acting, the differences between working on stage and on screen, some of the things she wished she knew when she first got started and the people who have helped her along the way.
We also talk and taste our way through two different beers, as Saorise tells us about what it was like to grow up in a pub as her parents ran one when she was younger and what got her into beer.
Saoirse’s normally a light lager drinker, but she asked me to introduce her to some new styles, so I pulled together a few options and we ended up tasting a unique Belgian beer style called a kriek – it’s aged on sour cherries, so it’s got a beautiful pink colour and sweet-and-sour flavour profile – followed by a pastry, or dessert, stout which was flavoured to taste like a chocolate fudge cake. You’ll find out what she thinks of each shortly!
Just a quick heads up, we recorded this episode way back in December 2019, back in the days when we could be in the same space and share a beer! The initial idea was to release this mini-series in April, but as you all know, life happened. So here we are, a little while later. But, better late than never!
Here’s Saorise…
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Saoirse's shout outs:
Find a link to the Kate Nash music video Saoirse mentioned here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL7ROvmXe-A
Along with a link to the IMDb page for their upcoming movie, 'Higher Grounds': https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11426538/
And if you haven't yet watched Derry Girls, here you go: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/derry-girls/on-demand/59741-001