Counties:
Buckinghamshire
Derbyshire
Leicestershire
Northamptonshire
Nottinghamshire
Oxfordshire
Staffordshire
Warwickshire
West Midlands

SIBA Midlands Beer Competition

Representatives to the Midlands

Alex Buchanan – Thornebridge Brewery
Alex, born in Dunfermline raised in the North East. A career in management and business development has taken him across the UK and the world with organisations ranging from   the Prison Service to Barclays Bank as well as running his own consultancy. In 2005 he joined the fledgling Thornbridge Brewery and has enjoyed every minute of being part of the team that has taken the brewery forward, through the highs and lows, of running a successful brewery.

Keith Bott

Keith Bott – Titanic Brewery
Born in Stafford in 1967 and educated locally, Keith Bott left school at the age of 18 and began learning how to brew beer by visiting the new wave of local brewers in and around the Midlands, before becoming the assistant brewer at Titanic Brewery in late 1985. When Titanic Brewery went out of business in 1988 Keith joined forces with his brother David to buy the company out of receivership. Titanic Brewery has gone from brewing 14 barrels a week to producing in excess of 2.3 million pints of beer to date this year. In 1996 Staffordshire County Council appointed Keith as the head brewer at Shugborough Estate, home to Lord Lichfield, to demonstrate the art of brewing, using a two and a half barrel log fired Victorian brewery, to the general public – a busman’s holiday he still enjoys today. Keith is also a Director of White Horse Brewery in Oxfordshire.

Keith Bott joined the ruling Council of The Society of Independent Brewers in 1994 and has had an active role in helping to run the society since then, in particular he had a leading role in convincing the government to introduce Progressive Beer Duty in 2002. Keith also took over as Chairman of the Society in the same year. After a four year stint in the Chair, Keith became President of SIBA in 2006 and continues to lead SIBA’s political campaigning.

Helen Teasdale – Springhead Fyne Ales

Helen Teasdale was born and educated in Lincolnshire and then took a degree in Law at Nottingham and subsequently practised as a solicitor for 10 years.  She transferred into the family firm her husband, Richard Scragg, set up and was their financial director until they acquired the Springhead Brewery as a going concern in 1997. 

Helen lives in Nottingham and has two adult children.  Keir, the elder, now also works at the Springhead Brewery as Production Co-ordinator and assistant brewer.  Richard has a non-executive role but has project managed the recent site relocation.

Helen’s current role is the MD of Springhead, focussing on business development as well as admin and the legal requirements of the company.  She has been the secretary of the SIBA Midlands area since its inception in 2004  and is now proud to be a SIBA Trustee.

During her time, Springhead has expanded from a 10BB plant to a 50BB brewery and is currently in the process of relocating to larger premises in North Nottinghamshire.

Helen’s hobbies are music (playing Saxophone and piano), skiing, walking, travel, dining and drinking good wines and beers.

News articles from the Midlands Region:

• The Albion wins CAMRA Best Pub in Bedfordshire two years running
• Four Beards, One Beer
• Old Fighting Cocks named Telford and East Shropshire CAMRA Pub of the Year
• Purity’s brewery expansion for future growth
• Stourbridge brewery celebrates horse-powered anniversary
• Titanic MD Formally Welcomes Joules To SIBA
• CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year
• Newark licensee prepares to scrum with the stars
• Everards hail Barry’s role with the ale as brewer calls time on 30 years of service
• Brewery says cheers to the Food and Drink iNet