(Produced for Ales & Tales)
- Name, age, occupation?
Alex Marchant, 26, General Manager – The Beacon Hotel.
- What was your first drink?
I remember my Dad letting me drink the foam of his beer when I was a kid, I couldn't understand how anyone could stand such a foul taste. He said I'd acquire it eventually. He was right. My first pint was Enville Gothic, I was quite underage.
- What are your hobbies and interests?
Other than real ale? Craft beer. I often joke that beer and pubs are my only hobby but it's fairly accurate. I used to be rather pretentious when I was younger and say that I liked fine art, film, new wave fashion and avant-garde hip hop. Now I just like beer and pubs.
- What is your favourite beer?
Hops. I really like bold flavours in beer, über strong hops or really deep malts. I admire brewers who are willing to take a chance and push boundaries with styles, strengths and flavours, even with aspects of the brewing process (Brew Dogs' Sunk Punk for example), I've been drinking a load of craft beers recently, Mikeller's 1000 IBU and Soba Ale; a collaborative beer between Rogue Brewery and Masaharu Morimoto have really stood out. British cask wise I believe that Kinver, Hardknott, Marble and Pictish can do no wrong. I've still got a place in my heart for Black Country bitters even though my tastes may have moved on, I still love Pardoe's Bumblehole. And there's no way I can answer a question about favourite beer without mentioning the Ruby. It's a staple in my diet.
- What is your favourite
-Food?
The restaurant in the Bulls Head, a Holden's pub down the road from the Beacon is my current favourite, really excellent traditional Thai food. I'd eat there every day if possible but it's not open on Sundays. -Drink that's not Real Ale?
Tea. I drink bucket loads of it.
-Music?
All kinds of crazy stuff.
- How did you get started in the trade?
I started as bar staff at the pub when I was 18, it was a couple of weekends before our first and only beer festival. It was an amazing place to work. I stayed on at the pub while I was studying illustration at Wolverhampton University. About 4 or so years ago, when I was in my second year, I became an assistant manager and became really involved in the pub and the trade in general, then last June I took over as general manager.
- What's the history of your pub?
It was taken over by Sarah Hughes where she began brewing the Dark Ruby in the 20s, after many years of closure the pub still remained in the family. John Hughes, Sarah's grandson, restored the pub back to it's previous Victorian style and décor and in the 80s, after finding the recipe in a cigar tin, started brewing the Ruby again.
- What are your aspirations for the business?
To be the best in the country at least once.
- What's the best and worst thing to happen in the industry in the last 5 years?
-Best
The influx of micro breweries; it's a sign that the demand for real ale is growing, it's an exciting time for our trade and the variety of different beer is as vast as it's ever been. This pleases me greatly.
-Worst
Massive duty increases, ever rising fuel and energy prices, and the stranglehold of pubco's and national breweries.
- How do you feel CAMRA could help you in your business?
CAMRA have done an awful lot for us already, our customers are converted. We're now in a lucky position where with the help of CAMRA, customers and previous management and staff we have a good reputation built up. We now face the hard work of trying to maintain it.
- Which is your favourite pub? (Can be anywhere in the country as long as you don't own it)
I love loads. The Three Kings at Hanley Castle, the Euston Tap, the Craft Brewing Co. and the Greenwich Union in London, the Wagon and Horses in Halesowen, Three Fishes in Shrewsbury, The Baltic Fleet in Liverpool. Basically, all the pubs I can remember ever going in.
