Obituary

Ken Don, legendary Young's brewer

Ken Don was head brewer at Young's from 1980 until it closed. He then spent many weeks at Charles Wells Brewery in Bedford where his beers were transferred. He had to train his yeast culture to work in Wells' conical vessels. The beers continued to be brewed at Bedford when Marston's bought the plant but it was then sold to Estrella Damm. Young's beer are now at Banks's but will find end at Marston's in Burton, a long way from their ancestral home
Added: Tuesday, June 3rd 2025
Geoff Mumford -- beer pioneer

Geoff Mumford (on the right) founded Burton Bridge Brewery in 1982, one of the first small independent breweries. He has died aged 82.He worked with his business partner Bruce Wilkinson and they had both worked for Ind Coope before starting their own brewery. Their beers included Bridge Bitter and the bottled Empire Pale Ale
Added: Thursday, August 1st 2024
Bill Tidy: laughing all the way to the pub

Bill Tidy, the legendary cartoonist, broadcaster and raconteur, has died aged 89. He kept the nation laughing for many years with his strips in the daily Mirror and Private Eye. He will be remembered by CAMRA members for his long-running strip Kegbuster in What's Brewing, in which an ale lover fought such mega brewers as Grotny and Twitbread and their attempts to foist keg beer on drinkers
Added: Tuesday, March 21st 2023
Roger Ryman, a proper job brewer

Roger Ryman, who has died at the tragically early age of 52, turned round the fortunes of St Austell Brewery with two beers that have achieved national sales. Tribute, first called Daylight Robbery, was meant to be a one-off monthly brew but sales "went ballistic". It was followed by Proper Job, considered to be one of the finest of the new wave IPAs.
Added: Monday, June 1st 2020
Bobby Neame, stalwart of Kent beer

Robert Neame, better known as Bobby Neame, former director of Shepherd Neame, Britain's oldest brewery, has died aged 85. In a long career with the family brewery, he helped safeguard its independence and introduced Spitfire ale that became the company's biggest-selling beer in cask and bottle
Added: Thursday, December 5th 2019
Phil Evans: poet of the pub
Peter Austin: father of micro-brewing

Peter Austin is hailed as the Father of Micro-brewing. Starting with Ringwood in Hampshire in the late 1970s, he built specialist craft breweries throughout the world. His greatest impact was in the United States and Britain where his legacy can be counted on the large number of small breweries operating today
Added: Thursday, January 9th 2014
Martyn Cornell: brilliant beer historian
Martyn Cornell, a brilliant beer writer, researcher and historian of brewing, has died suddenly aged 72. He is pictured above left with his brother Dave. Martyn spent many years researching the origins of beer styles, in particular porter and stout from the 18th century. His blog Zythophile was a must-read for all lovers of beer. He died on the eve of a major new book on the history and revival of porter and stout
Added: Friday, June 6th 2025