Great beer brings people together. Sure, we could talk endlessly about hop varieties and fermentation temperatures (and trust us, we do), but what's kept Good Chemistry brewing for ten incredible years isn't just what’s in the glass - it's the people who make it, serve it, drink it, and come together to share it.
This March, as part of our year-long celebration, we're raising a beer to 10 Years of Good People. From the friends who volunteered their weekends to help us get started, our bar staff who make our pubs feel like home, the legendary team who keep our brewery moving, to every single person who's chosen to enjoy a Good Chemistry beer since 2015 - you're all part of our story.
Stephen: “I first met Bob & Kelly when I became their CAMRA liaison officer just after they opened Good Chemistry in 2015. I feel very lucky to have held that position for the last decade, seeing GC grow from just Kelly & Bob to the great team that produce such great beers and run such good pubs 10 years later.
As well as writing regular articles about Good Chemistry for Pints West, I was one of the self-described handsome bar staff for the first 7 East Bristol Brewery Trails, when amateurish bar skills were more in vogue.
Here’s to the next ten years; thanks for letting me play a little part in your continued success.”
Meet The Team
We couldn't go any further before talking about the fantastic people who make Good Chemistry tick every day. It all started with Kelly and Bob, who built this brewery from the ground up. In those early days, they did EVERYTHING (and we mean everything) - from brewing to delivering, marketing to mopping floors, sales to spreadsheets. A decade on, they're still just as hands-on, but now with a brilliant team alongside them.
Speaking of brilliant, here's the brewers! Elliot, our lead brewer, first walked through our roller doors for a collaboration brew and thankfully never left (sort of…!). With his background in chemistry, he's a perfect fit for GC - the wizard behind many of our recipes and the man in control of the canning line. Working alongside him is Ed, the brewery powerhouse whose industry experience shows in every beer we brew. Enjoyed our recent incredible Liquorice Porter, Deep Roots? That was all Ed.
Up in the office, Lorin keeps the whole show running as our operations extraordinaire. Whether she's juggling spreadsheets and suppliers, shifting pallets, or helping out at events, Lorin's warmth and efficiency make her the heart of all we do. Meanwhile, if you've ever chuckled at our social media or admired our photography and event posters, that's Dan's handiwork right there. Over the years, Dan has evolved from taproom manager, via drayman, to handling all our marketing, media and design.
Out on the roads (and in the brewery), you'll find Tyler, our awesome drayman and brewery assistant. When he's not cheerfully rolling kegs into your favourite venues, he's back at base helping with brews – a true all-rounder! And the newest member of our crew is Mike. Mike is the sales department, bringing a wealth of experience from the hospitality industry and the world of spirits. He might be the new boy, but he's already one of the gang.
You can read more about our team, and hear from them directly, on our new blogpost here.
And if you visit our award-winning pubs, The Good Measure in Redland and central Kings Head, you’ll meet our brilliant managers, Neil & Laura, and their bar team. Their aim every single day is to create welcoming, inclusive spaces for you to best enjoy our beers and those from around the country.
Of course, we haven’t got to ten years without plenty of team members who’ve come and gone – so a massive shout-out and thank you to everyone who has ever worked alongside Bob and Kelly to get GC to where it is today (just some pictured below - who do you recognise? 😊).
Creating Space for Everyone
We believe seeing yourself represented matters, whether you're enjoying a beer or brewing one. Almost four years ago, our very own Kelly set up She Drinks Beer.
"Of course women drink beer!" a quick word from Kelly capturing the spirit behind She Drinks Beer perfectly. It's not about joining a committee or getting political - it's simply about having a regular night at the pub for women who enjoy beer (and when we talk about women, we include transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming folk). Because, as Kelly puts it, "when was the last time you walked into a pub and it was mostly full of other women? It doesn’t happen very often.”
How Bristol 24/7 announced SDB’s launch HERE.
Over the years, what started as a simple idea has grown into something special. Each month, alternating between the Kings Head and The Good Measure, we try to showcase breweries that are owned or run by women, have women brewers, or champion inclusivity in their workforce. We've run three anniversary brewdays welcoming women+ to GCHQ, and hosted incredible speakers like Kate Hyde, Head Brewer at Hand Brew Co, George Young, Brewing Director for Bath Ales/St Austell, and Katy Kennedy from Spirited sharing their expertise and experiences, and hopefully inspiring other women to get into the industry.
"It's about disrupting the traditionally male pub space, showcasing women-led breweries, and taking up space," Kelly says. And that's exactly what we're doing - one pint and one conversation at a time.
Dr Pam: “I first came across Kelly & Bob at their amazing Think While You Drink talks. As a researcher in Drinking Studies at University of Bristol it was really exciting to find people from a local business with an interest in both practical and academic expertise in drinking and brewing. They were immediately warm and interesting/interested and they continue to bring that sparky welcome to every encounter I have with them and their wider community.
She Drinks Beer is a wonderful way to socialize with women I might never otherwise meet from all walks of life in Bristol and I always come away from the Tuesday evening sessions feeling full of good beer and good conversation. I've never come across anything like it. That feeling of walking into a pub to a sea of happy chatting women enjoying a pint.
I was lucky enough to speak at their last brew day and the response was so inspiring. It was lovely to share my work and some Victorian drinks with them but even better were the conversations after, hearing back the bits they enjoyed and how they related Victorian women's drinking to their own experiences. Magic! I'm looking forward to further adventures with them in coming years.”
Join us this March
On Saturday 8th March, International Women’s Day, we're throwing open the brewery doors for another brewday with a difference. Whether you're a brewing pro or just curious about how your favourite beers come to life, if you’re a woman and interested in spending a brilliant day with us, come down to our home in awesome East Bristol and get hands-on with the process!
Find out more on the She Drinks Beer page, where you can also sign up to come along.
And from 2pm, everyone's welcome in the taproom, where Esme Betamax & friends will be spinning records by women until 8pm. Because good beer is always better with good music.
Esme: "I love playing records for people at the Good Chemistry taproom. It fills me with Pure Optimism - the beer and the feeling."
Looking Back and Looking Forward
Someone recently told us they want to be drinking Good Chemistry beer when they retire, and honestly, that's exactly the kind of relationships we're hoping to build. We don’t just want to be here for a good time, we want to be here for a long time. Every cask we fill, every pint we pour, every conversation we have (maybe at The Good Measure or Kings Head) is about creating something sustainable, something that matters, something that lasts.
This year, we're exploring different aspects of what makes Good Chemistry special, but it always comes back to you. The truth is, it would have been impossible to make it through these ten years without the extraordinary people who've walked alongside us - our dedicated team who give their all, our loyal customers who choose our beers time and again, and the wider Bristol community who've embraced us as we’ve embraced them. We are overwhelmed with gratitude, thank you!
Please share your memories!
Ten years of Good Chemistry means thousands of stories, and we want to hear yours. Whether it's your first brewery taproom experience, your favourite Good Chemistry brew and the story behind it, or good times you’ve had at She Drinks Beer or our pubs. We’d also love to hear who you like drinking our beers with and where you enjoy them.
Drop us a line at Cheers@goodchemistrybrewing.com and, if you’re ok with it, we’ll share them through the rest of this year.
Your stories are part of our story, and we wouldn't be here after ten years without you.
Here's to ten more years of good people, good beer and Good Chemistry. Cheers!
