Cheers! Louth man Elliot toasted for his milestone in brewing industry
The drinks are on a 21-year-old man from Louth, who has achieved a major milestone in the brewing industry.
Elliot Reynolds is being toasted after becoming the first brewer to pass an apprenticeship in the trade in Grimsby for 60 years.
He joined Docks Beers as an apprentice in 2023 and began his studies at Nottingham University with HIT Training, a specialist training provider in the hospitality and catering industry.
Elliot has spent the last two years balancing his course work and training with working full-time for the brewery.
But he described it as “a labour of love” and now he has been rewarded with official confirmation that he is a fully qualified brewer.
"I am over the moon to have come to the end of my studies and be the first of a new generation of brewers in Lincolnshire,” Elliot said.
"I can’t wait to continue with further training to become a master brewer. The team at Docks have been amazing in supporting me throughout the course, especially head brewer Lewis Birch.”
Docks Beers is Lincolnshire’s highest rated brewery, according to the beer-ranking app, Untappd, and is based in a converted church within Grimsby.
It opened in 2018 and is the first brewery in the town for several decades, which means Elliot is in the unique position of being the first home-grown apprentice brewer to have qualified since the 1960s.
Paul Savage, managing director of Docks, said: “That is an incredible achievement and one Elliot should be very proud of.
"We are so proud of him. He is a credit not just to Docks Beers but also to himself and his family. His enthusiasm for learning and improving his skills has been infectious.”
Elliot is likely to be celebrating with one or two pints of his favourite Docks beers, Dark Wolds, which is a collaboration with fellow Lincolnshire brewery, Munyard’s, based in Louth, and Overtime, one of Dock’s core beverages.
He added: “I like to brew Overtime, our lager, because it’s become such a staple of our brewery. I enjoy seeing people drink the beer that I’ve helped to make.”
Cheers!