Meet the Brewer: Georgina Young, Fuller’s
Georgina Young is Head Brewer at Fuller, Smith and Turner, and as such is one of the major figures in UK brewing. DeskBeers got in touch to find out how she got here…
George’s interest in brewing took hold while she was a Biotechnology student at King’s College, London, after which she undertook the prestigious Master’s degree in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. She began her brewing career at Smiles Brewery, Bristol, starting in the laboratory before progressing to shift brewing. Her next position was at Brewing Research International (now Camden BRI), where she ran the pilot brewing facilities for five years. In April 1999, she joined Fuller’s as Production Brewer.
George returned to Fuller’s from maternity leave in 2003, as Brewing Manager. Among her accomplishments at this time were the installation of a new fermentation block, and the recreation of Gales’s beers following Fuller’s acquisition of Gales Brewery. After her second maternity leave, George took a break from brewing to become a science teacher at a comprehensive school in Richmond, Surrey. Four years later, George returned to the Griffin Brewery, becoming the Brewing and Packaging Manager for Fuller’s in October 2013.
More recently, George has coordinated the installation at Fuller’s of a new Crossflow membrane filter and a CBS (continuous beer stabilisation) system. She has been instrumental in the production of some of Fuller’s most highly-regarded beers, such as Honey Dew, Jack Frost, Oliver’s Island and Frontier Lager. George was promoted to the role of Head Brewer in January 2017, and is currently Chair of the Southern Section of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, and a member of the Worshipful Company of Brewers.
Frontier Lager (4.5%)
Fuller’s call Frontier a ‘new wave craft lager’, and it’s easy to see why. Hand crafted and unpasteurised, with a blend of New World hops and Fuller’s yeast, this is a lager with serious body and flavour. Notes of citrus and spice are well balanced, adding a craft feel to the beer without compromising that straight-up thirst-quenching quality you only get from a lager.
Frontier Lager is one of three beers included in our International Women’s Day Craft Beer Box, to be sent out to DeskBeers customers in the week commencing March 6th. International Women’s Day 2018 takes place on March 8th.
Thanks again to George for answering our questions, and to the whole Fuller’s team for turning out great beer day in, day out.
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