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Do you need a UK brewer with 20 years international experience for you company?

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  • Do you need a UK brewer with 20 years international experience for you company?

    First off thanks for clicking on my profile, visiting this page and to see if am the brewer you're looking for to help your company.

    Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Neil Playfoot and I am a brewer (from the UK) with over 20 years experience in the brewing trade and have has the privalege of being able to brew in London, Paris, Lisbon, Bermuda and China.

    I have brewed on breweries from 3HL to 30HL and believe my experiences have made me more well-rounded individual over time allowing me to fit in to any team dynamic without unsettling the balance of the team already in place.

    I have knowledge of:
    • Malt handling and wort production
    • Filtration operation
    • Brewery processes and entire hot and cold side processes, including cellaring, filtering, dry hopping and kegging
    • Yeast management including harvesting, pitching and record keeping
    • CIP of fermenters, brite tanks, and separation equipment
    • Knowledge of and capable of support for both brewhouse and packaging operations
    • Maintaining a safe and tidy environment
    • Excellent communication (written and verbal) skills
    • Fostering a safety culture by using proper PPE and best practices
    • Record keeping skills including Microsoft Office and brewery management applications


    Every beer that I brew I see as an extension of myself so I maintain the highest standards I can so the beer that the customers drinks is the best it can be. As a brewer I like to have a diverse range of beers on tap from the traditional crowd favourites (yes IPA and Wheat I mean you), contemporary style fusions and like to use local ingredients where possible.

    For example I was asked to create a light 3% summer beer for the local Wuxi market in China. The easiest solution was to pack the beer with hops to give it "some flavor". However to add some body to a 3% beer I decided to add sweet Oolong tea at flameout and for a summer twist roasted lemon zest. The tea added depth plus body was a flavor known the local market and the lemon added zing to the finish. The beer is now brewed every summer at the brewery.

    I like to see what is popular around the world and take inspiration from some of my favorite breweries such as Dogfish Head (USA), Boxing Cat (China) and Pasteur Street Brewing (Vietnam). The craft beer movement has become a world wide phenomenon and so I believe being atop what is happening out there will allow me to brew beers (with input from all within the brewery) that are current, allows customers to experience brews that will educate them, challenge them but most of all be enjoyed.

    In my time as a brewer I have had to overcome a lot of adversity (sink or swim moments) as I am sure you have had similar moments too. Brewing in Bermuda (a small islands 500 nautical miles from the next nearest landmass the US) posed challenges of raw material supply and mechanical issues if something broke. My passion for craft beer has allowed me to overcome these obstacles and keeps me motivated for the future.

    My experience could offer your brewery:
    • Streamline of production to make the workday more economical
    • Cut costs whilst maintaining quality (speak with suppliers about gaining the best deals or finding more local suppliers)
    • Train new employees and brew with any team member (who is not on the brew staff) to try and foster ownership of the beer to all employees
    • Create data sheets for better record keeping production and packaging tracking to allow for the highest beer quality standards
    • Be a brand ambassador for the brewery as I like talking about beer and brewing.
    • Create solid SOP's so everyone is using the same systems which helps with consisitency but am open to suggestions to improve performance all the time.


    I am looking to work for a brewery with a solid plan for the future either back in Europe (I'm a UK citizen) or North America (I'd need help gaining a work visa). I have had experience of reallocation to several countries and working in a new country is not an issue for me.

    I have worked with some great breweries who have taught me a great deal. Plus I built up a good network of people in the industry who I communicate with, where we solve problems together and talk about best practices.

    If you have made it this far then thank you for your time. If you would like to talk further then I can be reached at:

    nplayfoot@hotmail.com

    Best regards

    Neil Playfoot

    Please see my shortened resume below:


    1998 - 2002 SCOTTISH & NEWCASTLE – LONDON UK
    Head Brewer

    - Ran two brewpubs in the center of London (I was the youngest manager 4 S&N at the time).
    - The core of the business was to brew real ales so was able to add to my knowledge of lager production.
    - Implemented SOP’s for the two breweries and had complete control of operations from grain to glass.
    - Was responsible for beers on tap, quality control and recipe formulation.
    Increased profitability of the two brew pubs in my time there by streamlining operations and sourcing materials at a lower price.



    2002 – 2005 PARIS REAL ALE BREWERY – PARIS, FRANCE
    Brewer

    - Brewed as part of a three man brewing team running four brewpubs in Paris.
    - In charge of brewing operation for their facility in Lisbon, Portugal. I would travel when needed from Paris to Lisbon to look after the facility and oversee brewing operations.
    - Involved in recipe formulation and the creation of seasonal beers
    - Helped open new brewpubs from installing breweries to overseeing brewery training of new brewers bought onboard.
    - Brewing beer in Europe allowed me to add to the portfolio of beers I was able to brew from my time in the UK.



    2005 - 2010 DOCKYARD BREWING COMPANY – BERMUDA
    Head Brewer

    - In charge of the production brewery creating 5 beers to be sold island wide. -The brews were US Style beers as the main customers were the American tourists who came to Bermuda on cruise ships and were responsible for 70% of yearly sales.
    - Worked with the public and media to build brewery awareness on the island plus did tours for travelers visiting the island.
    - Increased sales year on year in my time with the company. The brewery was the most profitable it had ever been when I left.
    -Being the only brewery on the 27 square mile island which was over 500 nautical miles from the next nearest land mass (mainland USA) stock control and maintenance was key to keeping the brewery running in the busy tourist season.
    -I was the sole brewer producing 120 x 55 liter kegs per month on a 7HL system during the busy months.
    - Brewing US Style beers allowed me to brew different beer styles.



    2011 - 2013 and 2015 BAD MONKEY BREWERY– Dali Yunnan, China
    Head Brewer

    - Went to China initially as a brewery consultant and was then taken on as the fulltime head brewer.
    - Created a range of beers to meet their specific needs.
    - Implemented SOPs and created a brewing manual to work from.
    - Trained staff in how to dispense beer, understand how beer is created and how to answer customer questions about beers we had on tap to push beer in a market which was new to craft beer.
    - I took an 18 month sabbatical to have a family and then the Bad Monkey asked me to help out after their head brewer left suddenly.
    - In that time they had evolved to a larger system (25 US Barrels) and to a 4000 bottles per hour bottling line.
    - I took a brewery with no records and bad beer in tanks and set about creating new recipes and sourcing new ingredients to create beer for both bottle and kegs so they could target new markets.
    - I then trained a brewer to take over from me and left Bad Monkey for a job that in a city more suitable for the needs of my family.

    2016 - March 2017 Mr. OK Bar – Wuxi, China
    Head Brewer

    - I had overall control of the brewing operations from grain to glass for Mr OK Bar.
    - As the company is still young (less than one year old) I have had to build their website and do all graphics relating to the brewery (such as beer clips and promotional material) plus look into social media as a source of gaining more customers.
    - I was told to cut production costs so sourced local materials where possible for cheaper raw materials but not at the expense of beer quality.
    - Tasked with creating recipes that would be popular for the local market (in Wuxi like Shanghai they have a sweet tooth).
    - The success of our beers at the Shanghai Beer Festival led the owner to invest in a new brew-pub in Shanghai which I will help install, run and create new recipes for.



    March 2017 – June 2107 ABI (DGO) – Wuhan, China
    Craft Brewing Specialist

    - I was the link between HQ in Shanghai and operations in Wuhan as the sole full-time DGO employee based in Wuhan.
    - My role was to provide assistance to Wuhan ABI employees as they built a craft brewing team for new craft brewery in Wuhan.
    - The task I preformed we’re diverse from visiting label suppliers to help approve designs and give the go ahead for print runs to overseeing dry hopping of 12000 HL of beer.
    - Tasked with helping ABI get their craft brewery operational I had to quickly make contact and liaise with key employees in a plant of over 700 employees to help with craft brewing operations (on my own as my colleagues were busy in Shanghai)
    - I was also tasked with writing capability reports for the large brew houses, fermentation and packaging of the main breweries on location. I completed this in my time with ABI so they could use the reports as a point of reference so the craft brewing and large brew houses teams could work together knowing how to share resources to reach goals and KPI's (Key Performance Indicators).
    Last edited by Neil Playfoot; 10-20-2017, 10:14 PM. Reason: Updated

  • #2
    Hi there

    We are an east canadian brewery
    Are you eligible to work and live in Canada.
    If so, we should talk

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    • #3
      I've sent you a PM thanks for getting in touch.

      Comment


      • #4
        Equity - Head Brewer Opportunity

        Canned Heat Craft Beer Company is an upstart brewery located in South Coast Massachusettes and we are looking for a HEAD BREWER to create a world class HOP forward lineup of craft beers to be sold on our waterfront brewery premises and distributed throughout southern New England.

        Primary Function
        Canned Heat’s Head Brewer will be responsible for ALL aspects of the brewery operations including and most importantly the creation of a HOPPY lineup of beers. The head brewer will also be responsible for optimization of a new 15BBL brewing system, training/mentoring/leading a brew team, canning line runs, designing and maintaining sterilization/cleanliness protocols, filtration system, and maintenance of brewery records, plus more.

        Other Requirements
        • Must be an absolute team player, make group decisions, and handle occasional criticism.
        • Must be able to meet the physical nature of the work – lifting 60 lbs occasionally assisting to lift up to 150 lbs.
        • Travel to beer festivals and events at night and on weekends.

        Education, Experience and Skills
        • Prior experience on at least a 15 BBL system in a full production brewery.
        • Must like and know how to brew multiple HOPPY world class beers.
        • Good personal skills and ability to represent the brewery in a positive energetic manner.
        • Writing and math skills are necessary.
        • College education is preferred but not mandatory.
        • Needs to be able to work without supervision and be goal oriented.
        • No drugs or criminal background – there will be a CORI check.

        Compensation and Benefits
        • Competitive salary based on credentials.
        • Health/Dental
        • Equity stake in the company with certain milestones achieved.
        • Live on the coast in an affordable area where you can fish, surf, swim.
        • 15 minutes to Newport, 25 minutes to Providence, and 50 minutes to Boston.

        EMAIL RESUME TO: MILES@CANNEDHEATBEER.COM

        Resumes and Interviews will be conducted in October/November or until the right team member is found.

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        • #5
          Sorry Miles I only saw your post just now when I updated my profile. Thanks for your interest. I'm guessing by now I've missed the cut off point.

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          • #6
            Will be back in Europe as of November 1st 2017

            Just a heads up that I'll be back in Europe as of November 1st and still looking for a position. I'll be based out of the UK but willing to travel for the right opportunity and available straight away.

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