Pint Sized_Issue 3_SUMMER 2023

SPECIAL FEATURE:

MEET OUR B&B GREENE SKY WORKING GROUP

MEET SOME OF OUR BRILLIANT PEOPLE

We caught up with some of our brilliant female team members.

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BIG AWARD WINS FOR SOME OF OUR BRILLIANT BRANDS

Read more about the impressive wins and meet some of our brand managers.

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Our winning beers, brands and people..

Read more on p.06-07

HEAR FROM TWO ‘FUTURE BREWERS’

Hear from two of the apprentices behind our October seasonal!

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BURY ST EDMUNDS • DUNBAR • EASTWOOD • BURTON UPON TRENT • ABINGDON

OUR WOMEN’S TAKEOVER EDITION

I’m sure like me you can’t have missed what has felt like a truly seismic shift in the profile of women’s sporting competitions over the last couple of years. It’s been fantastic to, at last, see some serious sponsor and broadcaster funding providing better equipment facilities and access to quality training that makes competitive sports like cycling, football, cricket, netball and rugby league (to name only a few) so compelling to watch.

I’m also so proud of how we’ve played a small part in amazing initiatives like “Greene King Proud To Pitch In” to provide a further boost to women’s sport. Whilst this is positive news, I can’t help feeling that all the energy women have had to pour into lobbying just to get their voices and ambitions recognised by the so-called professional sporting associations, could have been better deployed in sporting competition itself. Thanks to the tireless determination of many trailblazers in women’s sports we now thankfully seem to be seeing some momentum for change but we still have a long way to go if we are to shift beyond the outdated notions of ‘equality’ towards giving women the true equity they rightly deserve.

It’s also not missed on me the contradiction that as a man I’m introducing you to our Women’s Takeover Edition, but whilst I have the opportunity, I wanted to invite my male colleagues in our business to think hard about how they can become better allies to the women that we work with. As always, we are on a journey and we have a long way to go, but I’m personally determined that over time we all play our part in making our brilliant brewing business a more inspiring and empowering place for women to make a difference.

As a Dad to three daughters nothing could be closer to my heart than wanting my own girls to feel they can access the opportunities in life that their male counterparts readily enjoy, I want them to be able to fulfil their ambitions with fewer barriers and with a more accepting attitude to their views and skills. A view I have both at home and at work.

A good first step to allyship comes through a better understanding of issues, as well as a recognition of what we are already putting in place to support women in Greene King. Of course, whilst our focus here is on our women, we know that at Greene King we are on a journey to everyday inclusion for all.

I hope you enjoy reading about some of the amazing success stories that are already being delivered by some of the 181 women across our business, and hopefully this inspires us all to do even more great things!

Thank You

HI EVERYONE!

Welcome to our ‘Women’s Takeover’ edition of Pint Sized! I have really enjoyed speaking with some of the women of our business who work so hard day in, day out to make our business a success. It’s also been nice to hear some inspirational career progression stories and to hear from some of our female team members on a more personal level.

It’s been particularly exciting to chat to Greene Sky around some of their plans and the fantastic things they have already put in place in support of our women. Read more about this inside!

Thank you to all those that have worked with me to contribute to this edition – one I have particularly enjoyed working on and I am proud to work with so many inspirational women.

Best wishes,

Alice

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

We had a chat with Brodie who has recently started her role as the first female sales development manager in Scotland! What is your role?

I am the new sales development manager for the Belhaven team covering parts of Mid Lothian / West Lothian / South Lanarkshire & North Lanarkshire. My role consists of looking after the accounts within my area and also bringing on new accounts.

How long have you been at Greene King?

Eight years and three months to be precise

How long have you been in your current role for?

I started my new role on the 29 May this year so still fairly new, but loving every minute of it!

So, you are the first female SDM for our Scotland team?

How does that feel?

Yes, it does make me smile and I am proud of myself. I think to be the only female within a team can be a bit daunting however I have known the team since I started and have built really good friendships with them. They are all really supportive and very encouraging so the male/female issue doesn’t even exist – I’m not treated any differently. The team really does feel like a family/friends situation and that’s what makes it so enjoyable.

Tell us your career story?

I left school at 16 to become a hairdresser at a local salon in Dunbar that I had done work experience at through my school – it was a week long exercise and on the final day I was

We caught up with Installations Team Leader Hayley Hunt from our Cellar Services team. Read more about the role she plays in keeping installations running smoothly and efficiently for customers.

Hayley, tell us a little about yourself…

I’m Hayley and I’ve been with Greene King for more than five years. I first joined in January 2018, and I have worked in our Cellar Services team ever since – and I absolutely love my job. I’m a real people person so I thoroughly enjoy the regular and varied interaction I have with colleagues and customers, and I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping ensure our customers get the best possible service – with a smile of course!

You’ve had an interesting career so far?

You could say that. I started out as a Care Assistant in a care home then I joined the Prison Service where I spent 13 years as a Prison Officer. After that I had my first taste of hospitality when I started working in the Riverside House Hotel in Mildenhall. I began as a receptionist but I’m ambitious and I work hard, so I was eventually promoted to Assistant Manager. I was there for about a year before I joined Greene King.

I believe you have recently had a promotion?

Yes, I recently applied for the role of The Installations Team Leader and was successful in gaining the position. I’m currently transitioning into the role while I’ve been recruiting for my replacement on the Installations Team. I’m very much looking forward to working with a fantastic team and helping to shape the future of Cellar Service.

Katie has just completed work experience with the Beer Café as part of her Supported Internship at West Suffolk College. Here is what she has to say about her experience…

What did you do as part of your work experience with the Beer Café?

Working as part of the Beer Café team for a year I served our customers, poured drinks, ensured the shop was full of updated products and created gift bags for customers. I really enjoyed the role, I always felt so welcome, and it really increased my confidence.

Tell us about your studies?

I am studying as part of a Supported Internship which is a one-year course for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The course has been great

offered a job. I did hairdressing for almost five years before deciding a career change was needed and that is when I ended up in the telesales team at Belhaven. The telesales girls are fantastic and the environment was great, I really enjoyed my role however, I began to notice I was missing the face-to-face experience with customers and took an interest in the sales team role. I went out with some of the team for days in trade to meet customers and quickly realised this was the job I wanted. I spoke with the company and stated my interest and waited until an opportunity became available within the team and here we are.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Every day is completely different. Since I am still new to the role, I have been working on getting round all the accounts to meet everyone and introduce myself, which is lovely because I used to speak to lots of them on the phone for their orders – so to physically meet them is nice. Finding out how each of their business works and offer any advice when needed – and to obviously sell as much beer as I can because we have a brewery to keep open!

What do you love most about your job?

Meeting people – I really am a people person so this role suits me so much compared to being in an office.

What do you enjoy most about working for Greene King?

I love seeing our brands on the bars and to hear how well they are doing is great – it makes you proud to know the customers & consumers love Belhaven/Greene King just as much as we do.

Favourite Greene King beer?

That’s a hard one, but to narrow it down it would have to be Belhaven Saltire lager or Ice Breaker.

What is your role on a day-to-day basis?

I have been working as one of five Installation Coordinators in the Cellar Services team, which basically means that I help to organise any installations required by our customers. That could be new products being installed or it might be new equipment. Personally, I’m mostly focused on our Belhaven customers in Scotland but between the team we cover all of Scotland, England and Wales. Our SDMs meet regularly with their customers and if they need something new installed, they reach an agreement with their SDM who then hands them over to us. From there we then get in touch, sort out the details, provide quotes and then organise the actual installations, working directly with our team of engineers. It’s a seamless service and it really helps our customers. I’m now looking forward to taking my experience a step further in my new role!

So, are you office-based?

Yes, we’re fully office-based but I’m a real people person, so one of the many bits of the job that I love is speaking directly to our customers, building a rapport and basically just making sure that we’re delivering the best, friendliest and most efficient service that we possibly can. I also enjoy the regular contact I have with my colleagues, including those who are on the road. In fact, there’s not many bits of my job that I don’t love.

You’re doing an apprenticeship?

Yes, that’s right. I’m in the middle of completing a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Customer Service which I started last year. My boss asked me if I would be interested in doing an apprenticeship and I told him that I definitely would. It’s been so interesting, and I’ve learned so much about our company values, goals and strategies. It really helps me in my daily role. I’m due to complete the course later this year, so it’ll be nice to have another qualification and be able to offer even better service to our customers!

for me as I have been able to work on my CV and have been able to get some hands-on experience in a professional environment at Greene King.

What’s next for you Katie?

Completing my work experience has encouraged me to apply for roles within the hospitality industry. I am actively interviewing for a new position.

What did you learn from your experience with the Beer Café?

It was great for me to get an understanding of customer service and a front of house role. Interacting with customers and colleagues daily has done wonders for my confidence.

What did you enjoy the most about working for Greene King?

I can honestly say I enjoyed all of it. Everyone is so lovely, and the Beer Café team are amazing. The entire team were always so supportive, and I will always be grateful.

Brodie Hutson, Sales Development Manager

Hayley Hunt, Installations Team Leader, Cellar Services team

Katie, work experience in the Beer Cafе

Claire Bates, Trade Marketing Manager

Claire is part of the team behind our Value for Venues platform. We chat to Claire about her career so far, how her role is going and some of the exciting plans coming up for Value for Venues…

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am the Trade Marketing Manager supporting our free trade sales team and have been with the company for seven months. I live in Leicestershire and love taking my dog for long muddy walks or to the beach when visiting Norfolk. He always insists we stop off at a local Pub on the way – who am I to tell him no!

What has your career journey been so far?

I was hooked working in the hospitality industry since I got my first job as waitress in a local pub. Since then, I have worked in various sales and marketing roles with brewers, venues and suppliers before joining in January this year.

How are you getting on in your role?

I am enjoying the challenge thoroughly! I believe the biggest reason behind it, is the people I work with. The Greene King & Belhaven teams have been incredibly welcoming & supportive. It has been great getting to understand more around different roles within B&B, from my “Day on a Dray” to sitting on the phone with customer care, each role has an impact that will directly or indirectly affect another member of the team. It gives me the drive to support the team as best I can.

Talk to us about what’s on the horizon for Value for Venues?

Following the launch back in January, we have been ramping up our industry presence and embedding the concept in all our marketing assets & sales tools. We have some exciting activity planned for the second half of the year such as the launch of the referral scheme, our first trial trade show & enhancements to our Value for Venues bi-monthly magazine.

ABBOT ALE WINS TWICE IN CHAMPION BEER OF BRITAIN AWARDS 2023

Abbot Ale celebrated last month after winning gold and silver titles in the Champion Beer of Britain Awards at the Great British Beer Festival, which took place at Olympia London.

Abbot Ale, renowned for its well-loved fruit character, malty richness and superb hop balance, scooped gold in the Premium Bitters category and silver in the Supreme Champion category. We first brewed Abbot Ale in 1951, It was created by the head brewer at the time, Bernard Tickner MBE, who passed away at the age of 93 in 2017.

The brewing process has hardly changed in over 70 years. Taking seven days to craft the perfect pint of Abbot Ale, it is a beer to savour and relax with.

The Champion Beer of Britain Awards are one of the most prestigious beer competitions in the world and are the ultimate honour for UK brewers. The winning beers are awarded every year at the Trade Session of the Great

Meet Gemma Woolnough, Senior Brand Manager

British Beer Festival. Judging for the competition takes around a year, starting with individual nominations from CAMRA members and local and regional competitions. On the first day of the festival, a team of judges have their final round to decide the winners for the year.

Emma Hibbert, Head of Marketing for Abbot Ale said: “We are delighted to have secured these two titles for Abbot Ale, giving this beer the recognition it deserves. It is also a testament to the passion, care and knowledge of our brewers who continue to create this delicious beer for everyone to savour and we hope it will continue to be as much-loved long into the future.”

We caught up with Gemma who talks to us about her career journey to date, a typical day in her role as Senior Brand Manager and the successful day at the Great British Beer Festival!

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I grew up in Ipswich and then went to the University of Essex to study Literature and Film and after a couple of Marketing jobs in law and the travel industry I joined Greene King 10 years ago. I have a two year old daughter called Imogen and I will now have a husband as of August Bank Holiday weekend!

What has your career journey been to date?

I joined Greene King in May 2013 as a Marketing Executive. After a year or so I went on to work as a Brand Manager on Old Speckled Hen before moving to a Craft

Brand Manager role in 2017. In this role I launched Ice Breaker (my favourite beer) and then worked on the strategy and pre-launch elements of the Premium Beer portfolio. After maternity leave, I returned as a Senior Brand Manager working on Abbot Ale, Greene King IPA, and the Seasonal Ale Calendar.

What does a typical day look like for you?

A mixture of managing New Product Development, the design of packaging and/or pump clips, liaising with agencies on brand planning, activations, promotions, and media plans.

Congratulations on the award win for Abbot, it must have been a great day at the Great British Beer Festival?

We were delighted with the awards Abbot Ale won and we definitely had the best stand at the whole event. The Abbot Mobile even got a mention on the stage during the presenter’s introduction.

ICE BREAKER CELEBRATES TWO AWARD WINS!

Ice Breaker was awarded the highest star rating at the Great Taste Awards 2023 and shortly after was awarded Country Winner and gold in the Pale Beer category at the World Beer Awards 2023.

From over 14,000 entries of those that entered the Great Taste 2023, Ice Breaker was selected as one of the 1.8% products to achieve a 3-star award, which is presented to products deemed as the very best standard in the category.

The Great Taste award is the world’s largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme, putting food or drink to the test with a panel of over 500 experts from chefs, buyers, food writers and retailers. Product entries will then receive a 1, 2 or 3 star

accolade which are highly respected seals of approval for retailers and consumers.

The World Beer Awards selects the very best in all internationally recognised styles and announced it’s country winners in August.

These awards coincide with the brands refresh of the look and feel of Ice Breaker. The team have slightly tweaked the design of the anchor, which is fast becoming the iconic symbol for Ice Breaker, and given the brand’s tone of voice a shake-up to focus on the flavour of the beer. The brand refresh has seen a change to the design on cans, bottles, and packaging and launched with stockists in August, as well as on point of sale and keg fonts in venues.

Meet Amina Ali, Ice Breaker’s Brand Manager

Hear from Amina as she tells us about her Greene King career journey, the rising population of Ice Breaker and what she loves most about her role.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I grew up in Bromley and went to the University of Kent where I studied Business and IT. I met my partner at Uni and we decided to move to Bury St Edmunds in 2011, which is when I first joined Greene King. I’ve got a daughter, Layla, who is nearly eight years old and keeps me busy – she loves pointing out the drays with brands that I’ve worked on!

Talk to us about your Greene King career journey so far?

My first stint at Greene King was working in the GK Managed Pubs business, where I worked on the Epos helpdesk, then as Marketing Assistant for Eating Inn (now Pub & Grill) and then Trade Marketing Assistant. This took me up to 2015 when Greene King acquired Spirit Pub Co and the Managed Pub business was moved to the support centre in Burton.

In 2016, I joined Greene King’s B&B division as Marketing Executive for Belhaven Brewery. Working on Belhaven was a great experience – an incredible little brewery, that you HAVE to visit to truly appreciate the magic. Highlights from that role must be discovering my love of stouts, in particular the silky, smooth Belhaven Black, plus, the iconic 300th birthday bash that we threw in 2019 to celebrate 300 years of beautiful beers.

We have also launched Ice Breaker Pale Ale in 500ml single bottles offering a chance for consumers to trade up on their ale choice in the larger bottle category. The 500ml bottle launched in August in ASDA stores across the UK.

Ice Breaker Pale Ale is currently available in over 1,500 Greene King

In Spring 2020, I took on a new challenge as Marketing Executive for Greene King core beer brands. It was fantastic to work on our flagship Greene King IPA, especially being involved in the role out of Proud To Pitch In. I was also involved in the rebrand of Abbot – this was a brilliant project to work on, taking inspiration from Abbot through the years to land on something more modern looking but still recognisable.

Then in April 2022, I officially started my current role as Ice Breaker Brand Manager Can you talk to us a bit more about your current role?

My role is quite varied and involves me working with lots of different internal and external stakeholders – one minute I could be working on some design work with our creative agency, next I could be briefing our tv and social media ad campaign. Something that I’m doing more of now as a Brand Manager is really getting into the numbers, which I enjoy – this could be running Cognos reports, using the CGA and Power reports, all to gain better insight as to how Ice Breaker is performing, as well as its competitors. This then helps tailor the activation plans for the brand, that I’d work on with our Customer Marketing team.

What are the most exciting and challenging aspects of being a Brand Manager?

I’ve recently worked on a brand refresh for Ice Breaker with the aim to give the brand more personality and point of view and to have more standout. The new look has sharpened the lettering, refined the anchor

pubs and independent venues, as well as major supermarkets including Tesco, ASDA, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Waitrose and Ocado.

Congratulations to all our B&B team members that worked hard to make this happen!

and made the blue pop more, hopefully giving the brand better stand out on shelf and on bar, without alienating its existing customers. I’ve enjoyed working with internal and external stakeholders such as our packaging partners, production planning, design agencies to get the new designs produced – the best bit is seeing the finished result out in pubs or on supermarket shelves.

Ice Breaker seems to be going from strength to strength, you must be chuffed?

Since the recipe was first created we knew that Ice Breaker was a fantastic beer, and it became a permanent part of our portfolio in 2019. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength in Greene King Managed Pubs, our Free Trade, Pub Partners and in supermarkets. To get the recognition from two different awards, is amazing and a testament to the incredible work that the brewing and quality team do to make sure Ice Breaker tastes as it should, each time it is brewed. To win three stars at the Great Taste Awards is fantastic– less than 2% of brands that enter the awards get awarded this level! And to then go on to be the country winner in the American Style Pale Ale category at the World Beer Awards is the cherry on the cake! Both are well-known awards and we’ll be putting them on our packaging and producing POS for pubs to highlight the awards to drive trial. These awards, along with some strong selling stories, really set Ice Breaker up for a fantastic F24 as we look towards brand planning for next year – plenty of reasons to believe in this brilliant brand!

Ice Breaker Pale Ale is going from strength to strength this year after celebrating two major award wins last month.

Meet Amina Ali, Ice Breaker’s Brand Manager

GREENE KING ICE BREAKER

ENGLAND COUNTRY WINNER PALE BEER AMERICAN STYLE PALE ALE

Anita Ujszaszi Awards Director Adrian Tierney-Jones Chairman

GREENE SKY

HEAR FROM OUR B&B GREENE SKY GROUP

• We want to support Greene King with its ambition to develop more women, so more women can shape the future of the business.

• We encourage female empowerment and inclusions across all levels of Greene King and believe the Sky’s the Limit!

• Greene King’s ambition is to have 50% of women in senior leadership team and senior management teams by 2030.

• Greene Sky wants to support that goal by helping more women to shape the future of Greene King.

• We are proud to have supported the updated Greene King Maternity Policy, which is now one of the best in the sector.

• By holding focus groups and gaining insight, we were able to propose ways to improve women’s experience of maternity.

• The group aim to do this with our thematic focuses – celebrating women, promoting careers, making a stand against sexism and educating on menopause.

Celebrating women

We are here to showcase the achievements of women working at Greene King and empower women in the workplace. Great work is being done and there is more to do to keep up the momentum and celebrate the successes of women of all ages in our pubs, breweries, in the field and our support centres.

Promoting careers

We want to encourage equal opportunities for all and improve the ratio of women in leadership roles and management positions across Greene King. The annual Gender Pay Gap reports help us monitor progress for women’s pay and careers. The new maternity leave policy is one part of the on-going support which helps women before, during and after the birth of a baby, and their return to work. Careers can still progress as a family grows.

Making a stand on sexism

There is no place for sexism in Greene King. Greene Sky is here to make sure women are not undermined, overlooked or endure any sexism in the workplace. Sexism is confined to the past – we want a present and a future where women are valued and there is no discrimination.

Educating on menopause

GREENE SKY’S AMBITION WHERE WE FOCUS OUR FOCUS AREAS

Menopause is a stage of life that all women experience – our Team members, work colleagues, relatives and friends. In a recent CIPD survey, 59% of women stated that menopause symptoms affected their performance at work. We want to encourage more open conversations about the menopause, create awareness of the impact that symptoms have on women in the workplace, and explore how we can support our female colleagues if and when they need it.

• Everyone is welcome to join our Greene Sky B&B group!

• Join the Greene Sky group on Kingdom to get all the latest updates and come along to support our events!

• You may not identify with the community but please join us to find out more, share your interest, become an ally, and support our goals.

WHO’S WHO IN B&B GREENE SKY

Alan Dawson, Regional Sales Manager

The biggest buzz that I get from my job is helping people to grow and seeing them maximise what they have to offer the world, so having the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful initiative and help to improve the environment that people are working in, played straight into that. In addition, I’ve also got 2 daughters and they’d have a right go at me if I didn’t get involved!!

Kirsten Alexander, Brand Manager

I joined the main Greene Sky committee as Secretary about a year ago, so was keen to get involved on a more ‘local’ level in the B&B working group that Sarah leads. It’s great to be involved in both as you can see change both at a company and divisional level. There’s representation from across B&B which really helps to see where we need to focus to make change, educate and celebrate! We’ve got some great things planned for the rest of 2023 and 2024 so keep an eye out for those on Kingdom!

Deborah Hedges, Sales Development Manager

You can hear that Greene King is going through all sorts of change with how they are operating, and I wanted to be a part of helping shape this. There are many issues Greene Sky is raising that are important to me and I feel empowered to be a part of the group.

Brodie

Hutson, Sales Development Manager

I joined the group as the Belhaven member. Having just recently transferred internally from Telesales to Sales Development Manager it’s great to be part of a group recognising career progression & supporting women.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Sarah

Esterhuizen, Head of Customer Sales

I wanted to be part of the Greene Sky group to help give women a chance to progress within the company. In the 22 years I have been here I can see that Brewing & Brands has been on a journey to a more inclusive environment, and changes are happening. I am very excited to be involved in making a difference for the future.

Rachel Corbett, HR Business Partner

I wanted to be part of the Greene Sky working group as I’m passionate about removing barriers for women and supporting them to achieve their potential. It’s great to be part of a group of people who champion and celebrate all of the fantastic work that women do in our business and across the industry.

Tara Hutchinson, Senior National Account Manager – Off-Trade

Having worked within commercial/ category teams within the FMCG world for most of my career, I have found that I have always been in the minority as a female within these types of roles. I wanted the chance to change perceptions around what it means to be a Commercial Manager, and encourage more females into the industry.

Chloe Garratt, HR Director

I wanted to be the Exec Sponsor for B&B Greene Sky because I am passionate about developing a culture where everyone can reach their potential. With over 20 years’ experience in HR and 15 years at a Leadership level, I know only too well how tricky it can be to juggle work and family commitments. I have three children, two girls and a boy and I seek to show them how both parents can work in Senior roles and work together to raise the family.

MENOPAUSE AWARENESS

To coincide with Menopause Awareness Month in October, we’re launching our new policy to support anyone affected by the menopause. This is set to include guidance for managers and team members on how they can support themselves and each other and signposting to further resources.

During October, our B&B Greene Sky Group will also be hosting menopause awareness events and welcome everyone to attend. Watch this space for more info coming on this soon! Why is this happening?

Greene King is on a journey to normalise the conversation around the menopause, and meaningfully support those who need it, when they need it. Greene Sky have been instrumental in supporting this after spotlighting the issues that women can face at work and delivering real insight and recommendations from the menopause listening groups conducted earlier this year. Over 250 people registered for these.

DRAMATIC NEW LOOK FOR BELHAVEN BLACK!

Belhaven Black – one of Belhaven’s most iconic beers – lifted the curtain on a dramatic new look during this year’s 2023 Edinburgh Fringe, at which Belhaven Brewery was an official beer sponsor.

Following the refresh of Belhaven Best several months ago, the team made the decision to go with a similarly bold new design for Belhaven Black. The striking new design features swirls bursting from the brewery’s iconic malting chimneys – a feature since 1719 - which reflect the depth and drama of the beer when it’s poured in the glass.

Fiona Matheson, Belhaven Brand Manager said: ‘Fresh from our re-brand of Belhaven Best a few months ago, this is another huge milestone for our brewery, and a sign of the ambition we have for our much-loved Scottish

stout, Belhaven Black. We’ve been producing stout here in Dunbar since the mid-1800s, but there has been an incredible surge in interest in recent years, particularly amongst younger drinkers who are looking for character and flavour from their beer – both of which Belhaven Black delivers brilliantly. We’re also seeing rapid growth for Belhaven Black south of the border, so we believe that this striking new look will only add to the wind that is currently in the sails of Scotland’s number one Scottish stout!’ From August, the new look Belhaven Black has featured on glassware, tap handles, fonts and a wide range of materials in bars around Scotland.

As per previous campaigns the media plan will support all stockists nationwide with proximity digital and social media as well as focusing on impactful out of home billboards and taxi wraps across London. But for the very first time the award winning, stop motion TV advert will be shown on live TV throughout nine matches of the much-anticipated Rugby World Cup across three key regions; London, Anglia and the South. The record setting investment comes as the beers continue to increase availability across the country with now over 1400 On Trade distribution points and being available for purchase in 1400+ Supermarkets.

Hear from Annabel South, Senior Brand Manager:

‘To be able to expand our media into linear TV, across three key regions in the first 18 months of the products being in market is hugely exciting for the brand. It is a great opportunity for us to get our awardwinning TV ad out to many more consumers and really highlights the success we are seeing out in trade with both beers.’

Catch

16/09: Ireland v Tonga

17/09: England v Japan

23/09: England v Chile

23/09: SA v Ireland

24/09: Wales v Australia

These are the first five spots of our nine match schedule so watch this space for updates on the next spots!

This autumn Level Head and Flint Eye will be launching their largest ever media campaign, investing £1.5m across eight weeks from mid-September to reach more people than ever before.

MEET TWO OF THE APPRENTICES BEHIND OUR OCTOBER SEASONAL!

Meet Clarisse and Joel, two of the University of Nottingham apprentices behind the beer planned for our October seasonal ‘Future Brewers’...

Can you tell us your names and what you are studying?

- I’m Clarisse and I’m currently studying a Level 4 Brewing Apprenticeship at the University of Nottingham. My working position is as a Brewer at Mondo Brewing Company based in London.

- I’m Joel and I’m also studying a Level 4 Brewing Apprenticeship at the University of Nottingham. My working position is at Cheddar Ales in Somerset. Tell us about this opportunity and how you have collaborated with the team here

- We were given a brief by Alan and Simon which presented us with the opportunity to brew something for October. We knew it needed to be a porter, so we wanted it to have that Autumn season drinkability.

- We brainstormed and discussed what we like to see in porters and what we thought would sell well for the Greene King demographic. We tried to build upon our craft-based backgrounds, and we also knew we wanted something with a bit of spice to compliment the season well.

It must be a great feeling knowing that you are behind the recipe for our October seasonal beer?

It’s so exciting! It feels amazing to have had this opportunity. To create and share great beer amongst passionate people is what brewing is all about. Thank you, Alan, Simon and all at Greene King who have made it possible for us.

What was it like getting to see our Bury Brewery?

It was fascinating! And it smells amazing! It was super cool seeing our recipe come to life, we certainly haven’t done anything to this scale before. It was great to see the kit as well and to get to use equipment that we have only read about before. The experience really developed our knowledge and was so useful for our exams.

So, what’s next for you both?

Clarisse – I would like to progress to a Masters in Edinburgh and to find out a bit more about distilling. I’m really interested in the technical side of brewing.

Joel – I am hoping to start my own business. My family own a pub so I would love to set up an onsite brewery!

A few words from Alan Fulcher…

It was brilliant to see the creativity of these future brewers and they put so much effort into both recipe and presentation. For the past three years, we have been proud to work with the ‘National Brewing Apprenticeship Programme’ on this opportunity for apprentice brewers and it’s great to give them the chance to work on something that ends up on our bar!

WE CELEBRATED SOUTH ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH!

Unity is our internal voluntary led group focussed on true inclusion for all, with an emphasis on equality for minority ethnic team members.

Unity’s goal is to ensure our peers truly feel seen and heard and that the space is here to share. Through sharing experiences and stories, we want to educate Greene King as a business and shine light into areas that need it. Unity will bring colour, vibrancy and education through events, food, music, and conversation, supporting and embracing the agenda of making a difference for those underrepresented. South Asian Heritage Month seeks to commemorate, mark, and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories and communities. The month seeks to understand the diverse heritage and culture that continues to link the UK with South Asia. Unity supported the month by sharing personal stories from our colleagues and sharing facts about South

WELLNESS YOUR WAY

In July we spotlighted wellbeing and how we can positively support the wellbeing of our team members. In support of this, we invited Suffolk Mind in to host a breakfast event for our team members on ‘Emotional needs and resources.’ The session provided attendees with an introduction to emotional needs and how to meet their needs using their innate resources. There was also some time to reflect and an opportunity for Q&A and the session was recorded for those unable to attend or not based in Bury. It was fantastic to see so many people attend this event and watch this space for more collaborations coming soon!

Throughout the month, we continued to see fantastic uptake with our fruit deliveries to all locations, brilliant attendance to our weekly fitness sessions and over 250 team members access the health genies based at both Abbot House and Hen Hall. Whilst our wellbeing focus month is over this doesn’t stop us talking about how we can support your wellbeing all year round! Keep an eye out for more wellbeing updates coming very soon…

We want to hear from you! Complete our Workplace Wellness Survey so we can continue to positively support our team members wellbeing. Scan the QR code to access the survey:

Mental Health

First Aiders

We have several trained Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA), who are team members that have received mental health awareness training. They can provide the initial support for anyone experiencing mental health issues and signpost people to seek the appropriate help required.

Over the coming issues, we will be calling out our Mental Health First Aiders. First up we have Dave, Alan, and Lynne!

Asia. They also launched a competition asking team members to share their stories of their favourite South Asian food recipes, the shortlisted recipes were cooked and tasted at an event held in Sunrise House. Our teams in Bury also got to try authentic Sri Lankan food!

THE NEXT RANT & RAVE SURVEY

Dave Ellis 07974 132460 daveellis@greeneking.co.uk Lynne Nicholson 07974 132938 lynnenicholson@greeneking.co.uk Alan Donnelly alandonnelly@greeneking.co.uk

Our Rant & Rave survey is coming soon! We care about how you feel about working at Greene King and we want to hear your feedback so we can use this to positively drive change. The survey will be open from Monday 4 October - Wednesday 25 October. Look out for an email from Willis Towers Watson with a link to this! All views are completely anonymous.

This is also a great opportunity for us to see what progress we have made since our Pulse survey in April, the last survey in 2022 and to understand what is important to you.

VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER

- from a brewing, political and historical perspective.

Your highlight of the day would be?

Highlight of the day was the panoramic view of the Brewery and surrounding areas – visually taking in the town of Bury St Edmunds.

What was your favourite beer during the tastings and why?

I was pleasantly surprised by my first tasting of Ice Breaker which isn’t normally a beer style I would go for!

Tara Hutchinson,

Senior National Account Manager

– Off Trade caught up with Tom Southall, Beer Buyer at Sainsburys. Check out how they got on…

It was a bright and warm July morning when Tom Southall, the Beer Buyer at Sainsburys, visited our fantastic Brewery. We began the day with what Tom described as ‘an excellent, engaging and educational’ tour of the brewery with experts Steve Ruthen and Alan Fulcher.

MEET HALEY SUMMERS...

The buyer was amazed at the scale of the volume going through the brewery on a daily basis – it certainly made him appreciate the need for accurate forecasting with just 3 barrels of beer being brewed at any one time! There was also an unplanned moment of greatness when Tom noticed what appeared to be the classic Sainsburys slogan “Taste the difference” written on the Brewery wall! After a timely lunch at the Beer Café, we then began the Brand immersion sessions where the marketing team shared the stories of our brands before touching on the year-to-go marketing plans. Tom was also able to taste our beers and compare the different styles we have to offer. We asked Tom some questions after the day. Here’s what he had to say:

How did you find the Greene King Brewery tour today?

Brewery tour was excellent. I really enjoyed being taken on the journey through time that is the Greene King story - Steve and Alan were able to provide so much interesting detail on this

We caught up with Haley on what its like to business partner the brewing & distribution side of the business and on all things wellbeing as she works hard to develop a new strategy.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m originally from the U.S. but decided to move to the UK about four years ago. It’s been quite a journey, and just over two years ago, I took on a role in Brewing & Brands. I’m in a unique position to partner with the brewing & distribution members of B&B. When I’m not working, my husband Joshua and I love to travel. We’ve been to 18 different countries in the last two years alone! We really love experiencing different cultures, especially through their food and drinks.

What is it like working as HR Business Partner for the Brewing & Distribution side of the business?

Every day is different, which keeps things interesting. I’m close to where all the action happens – right where the beer is made. So, it’s never a dull moment, and I get to be a part of the entire process.

The Craft Beer category continues to be a big focus for both Greene King and Sainsbury’s this year. What do you think we need to be doing as a team to continue to drive sales within this ever-evolving market?

Greene King has done a great job of bringing new products to the craft beer category, we need to keep our foot on the gas, increasing awareness of these brands in the on and off-trade to drive sales.

What do you think the next big trend in the Beer market will be?

I think the moderation trend is here to

I know you are working hard to develop a B&B wellness strategy, why are you so passionate about employee wellbeing? Wellness has always been close to my heart. In my personal life, I find solace in activities like going to the gym, playing volleyball, and simply enjoying nature. These practices help me maintain my mental and physical health, allowing me to be my best self at work. The sense of balance it gives me is invaluable, and I want to share that with others. Everyone has a unique definition of health and wellness, and I believe the company will benefit from a wellness strategy tailored to individual needs.

What can employees expect in terms of wellness in the near future?

We’re ramping up our fitness sessions, and I urge everyone to join the fun workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 pm. Additionally, we’ve installed lifestyle checkpoint machines at Abbot house and Hen Hall. Do try them out! We’ve got a great group of wellness champions who have brought some

stay so we should see the breadth of choice available to shoppers continue to widen in this area and become more accessible. The ‘Low’ alc 1.5-3.5% ABV range along with 0.0/0.5% should proliferate in the coming year or so. The current social and economic climate is affecting us all, how is Sainsbury’s dealing with the impact and how do you think the Beer category will be affected? At Sainsbury’s, we are putting a lot of focus on monitoring the changes in commodity pricing and potential deflation in order to ensure we continue to bring the best value proposition to our shoppers. For the beer category, I think the duty change will mean that the trend of polarisation across price points will continue.

How can Greene King continue to support Sainsbury’s?

We are always looking to provide the best value but also bring new products to market first. Greene King can support by helping us with market leading deals and bringing exciting NPD to market.

wonderful wellness programmes to life at your site. If you have any feedback or suggestions for future wellness offerings/activity, please reach out to your site wellness champion. And for those interested in becoming a wellness champion in areas we’re still recruiting; they can drop me an email at haleysummers@greeneking.co.uk.

CURRENT WELLNESS CHAMPIONS

Sean Wiggins – Bury DC

Alan Fulcher – Bury Brewery

Alan Donnelly – Abingdon

Paul King – Hen Hall

Lee Smedley – Belhaven

Customer Sales

John McAlpine – Belhaven

SHE team

Terasa Evelyn – Quads

Jonathan Stanhope-Smith

– Sales: Free Trade

Anita Crawford – SHE team

CLUB LOOKING TO CHAMPION WOMEN’S CRICKET

BIG WINS FOR ESTRELLA GALICIA IN OFF TRADE!

Our Off Trade team have been working hard to secure some Off Trade listings for Estrella Galicia and are delighted to share two pieces of great news:

LIDL HAVE CONFIRMED ESTRELLA GALICIA

4X330ML LISTING

LIVE SEPTEMBER!

• This includes full national distribution (990 stores)

• 1,300 barrels

LIDL HAVE ALSO CONFIRMED ESTRELLA GALICIA 12X330ML AS A SPECIAL BUY FOR SPANISH/MEDITERRANEAN THEMED IN-STORE FEATURE

• This includes full national distribution (990 stores)

• 1,300 barrels

As part of our Proud to Pitch In scheme we awarded a cash grant to Nottinghamshirebased Caythorpe Cricket Club – to help their mission to support the women’s game. Caythorpe Cricket Club applied for grant, with the aim to support the development of women’s cricket in Nottinghamshire, specifically to help their goal of setting up women’s softball cricket at Caythorpe and helping to fund cricket officials for the women’s hardball teams.

A few months on from receiving the grant, the club is now able to report back on the difference the contribution has made. The grant was predominantly used to buy equipment and coaching for the women’s softball cricket team, which is now going from strength to strength, from having just three women attend the very first session, to now having over 15 women regularly playing.

The grant also helped to fund cricket officials for hardball fixtures, enabling the club to facilitate more women’s hardball matches.

Kelly Sladen, Women’s Section Manager and 1st XI Captain, said: “Cricket is an amazing and fulfilling sport that can be played by everyone, which is why we’re currently on a mission to champion the women’s game.

“The grant from Greene King IPA has meant

that we now have the capability to run a successful women’s softball cricket section, which in itself brings in vital funds for the club and helps to put us on par, if not above other local clubs.

“For a club of our size, the main challenge when it comes to funding is covering ground and maintenance costs to run facilities. Price can also be a barrier to participation in women’s cricket so any way we can reduce costs will hopefully enable us to recruit and retain more players”.

MORRISONS HAVE CONFIRMED ESTRELLA GALICIA 660ML

LISTING LIVE 18 SEPT

Emma Hibbert, Head of Marketing for IPA said: “We launched the donation scheme of 10p from pints of Greene King IPA almost two years ago and we’re delighted to see the impact that Proud to Pitch In funding is having on local community sport. Caythorpe Cricket Club is a great example of championing the women’s game and they’re highly deserving of this funding.”

• 405 stores have been confirmed

Across in northern Europe (6)

Exaggerated emotion (8)

Degenerate (3)

Finish a telephone call (4,2)

8 - Degenerate (3) 9 - Finish a telephone call (4,2)

Comes together; coheres (4)

Result (5)

Outsiders (7)

Meat from a deer (7)

Ascend (5)

Woodwind instrument (4)

Wading birds (6)

Climbing vine (3)

Impressive manner of a person (8)

Young cat (6)

Down

1 - One under par in golf (6)

1 - One under par in golf (6)

2 - Machines for shaping wood (6)

21 Sep – 1 Oct

Cask Ale Week

22 Sep – 24 Sep

Dunbar Music Festival

25 Sep

B&B Digital Quarterly Briefing

25 Sep – 1 Oct

National Inclusion Week

28 Sep

Macmillan Golf Day, Celtic Manor

1 Oct – 31 Oct

Black History Month

2 - Machines for shaping wood (6)

3 - Muffled explosive sounds (of vehicles) (5)

3 - Muffled explosive sounds (of vehicles) (5)

4 - Sterile (7)

5 - Vindictive (8)

4 Oct – 25 Oct Rant & Rave Survey Live

4 - Sterile (7)

5 - Vindictive (8)

6 - Plant with deep purple flowers (6)

6 - Plant with deep purple flowers (6)

12 - Cosmos (8)

14 - An unknown person (7)

- Cosmos (8) 14 - An unknown person (7) 16 - Remains of a fire (6)

16 - Remains of a fire (6)

18 - Demand forcefully to have something (6)

- Demand forcefully to have something (6)

- Subatomic particle such as a nucleon

19 - Subatomic particle such as a nucleon (6)

20 - Waterway (5)

If you’d like a copy of the answers please - email alicefarnsworth@greeneking.co.uk

COMING SOON! BREWING & BRANDS BRIEFING

11 Oct

British Beer and Pub Association Annual Dinner (Premium Beers pouring)

18 Oct

International Menopause Day

31 Oct – 1 Nov

B&B Conference

9 Nov

MCA Restaurant Conference, The Pullman, London

29 Nov

Guild of Beer Writers Awards, Big Penny Social, London

On the 25 September, we will be launching our quarterly B&B digital briefing! These briefings will give you the chance to hear the latest business headlines, get an update on the B&B Dartboard and to ask the Exec Team any questions you may have.

You’ll have an opportunity to ask the Exec questions on the day, but if you’d prefer you can send your questions in advance here and they’ll be asked anonymously on your behalf.

We will also put a recording of the call out the next day so those unable to join us can catch up in their own time. Scan the QR code to submit questions for the B&B Exec Team!

WIN A £50 AMAZON VOUCHER! CAPTION COMPETITION

PINT SIZED PLACES

Thanks so much for all your pictures you sent in sharing where you were reading Pint Sized - keep sending them in and the most creative one will be our winner!

Email your pictures to alicefarnsworth@greeneking.co.uk

And the winner of the last issue was... Matt Steward, pictured by the famous Niagra falls - what an effort!

OUR BRILLIANT BEERS SPOTLIGHT: ABBOT ALE

Drinkers are willing to pay more for Abbot. Number of pints sold per pub shows growth when prices rise.

In Q1 2023, average price per pint increased 6% vs. prior year. Average ROS (pints per pub) increased 2%.

Source GK EPOS (Q1 2023)

In blind taste tests, Abbot Cask beats Timothy Taylor Landlord.

Abbot scored 6.3, Landlord scored 5.6.

Source: MMR Cask Benchmarking project (March 2023, n=303)

Abbot is the 2nd strongest premium brand in the cask category when we use the gold-standard measurement service for this (Kantar Brand Equity Framework); OSH is #1 Abbot Brand Power score of 7.6%, 2nd highest score of 6 premium brands tested. Higher than Landlord, Marston’s Pedigree, Ghost Ship and Tribute.

Source: Kantar Brand Evaluator (June 2023, n=1,172)

Abbot ROS matches Landlord in the FT, only beaten by GK IPA (CGA OPM MAT to 17/06/23, both brands sell 14 BB’s per outlet per MAT).

Abbot won Silver Supreme Champion in the Overall Winners Category, and Gold