03/06/2026
10 things that I’ve learnt as a brewery founder..that might shock you🫣🍺
1. Brewing in Northern Ireland is tough. With access to market challenges that make an already difficult industry even harder.
2. Staying independent means taking the harder road. Independence is an expensive hill to die on. We could have had city centre venues if we’d taken money from the multinationals, but it would have meant losing control of what we pour.
3. Great beer alone isn’t enough. You can brew the best beer in the world, but rising costs, utility bills and late payments can still put you under pressure. Cash flow is everything.
4. Building customer relationships. Having a direct connection with the people who drink your beer matters more than chasing volume or shipping pallets you never see again.
5. Running a brewery means wearing a lot of hats. You start out as a brewer, but quickly become a plumber, accountant, driver, salesperson and problem solver.
6. Growth means saying yes. I’ve said yes to some things I’d never do again, like standing in an off-license for samplings on a Friday night while people ask ‘did you make this in your bathtub?’ but ultimately getting out and about and talking to people is how we ended up opening Bullhouse East, and how we found our biggest customer and wholesale partner in GB, Cave Direct (after having a pint at half time of a football match in Sarajevo).
7. Growing & supporting your team. As the business grows, staffing and communication become one of the biggest challenges, and one of the biggest responsibilities. One thing I’m really proud of is that we’re still the only accredited real living wage employer in the pub trade in NI, and I am very passionate about trying to improve the hospitality sector in NI for the better to everyone’s benefit, not just the pub owners.
8. Learning to adapt. The goalposts never stop moving (pandemics, CO₂ shortages, energy costs) so you learn to adapt and crack on with what you can control.
9. Staying true to your values. It’s easy to chase trends or quick wins, but we’ve always tried to stick our values.
10. You learn by asking questions and doing, making mistakes!