At The Grapes, we’re passionate about championing small, independent producers who pour their heart and soul into every pint. These are the brewers who keep traditional British brewing alive while adding their own creative twist – the ones who know their customers by name and their beer by every stage of the brewing process.

Andrew Murray from Twisted Brewing Co is exactly the kind of producer we love to support: a hands-on brewer who’s as comfortable cleaning the mash-tun as he is perfecting a new recipe.

Based just down the road in Westbury, Andrew and his small team represent everything we value about local, craft brewing – quality ingredients, traditional methods, and a genuine love for the craft.

We sat down with Andrew to hear his story, from his globetrotting days with the NAAFI to delivering beer to the wrong navy, and everything in between.

Name

Andrew Murray

Company name

Twisted Brewing Co

How old are you?

60

Do you have any pets?

As a family, we have one white cat, an assassin of a chicken (when we introduced more chickens, they mysteriously died)

Introduce yourself and tell us a bit about what you do

I live and work in Westbury, not a stone’s throw from Bath. I am the brewer/cleaner/sampler/telesales person for the brewhouse on the West Wiltshire Trading Estate.

How long have you been doing this job?

I’ve been brewing for 10 years, having been certified by the Institute of Brewers and Distillers, which provided the technical aspects of the brewing business and my background from NAAFI in all other aspects of business.

Tell us a bit more about your product. Are there any you’ve developed yourself?

We are proud to be a traditional beer maker, paying tribute and adding to the rich heritage of British brewing. We use the traditional floor maltings in Warminster which have been supplying malt to brewers for 170 years, and open fermentation techniques to produce our range of bitters, pale ales, stouts and milds. We cask-condition our beers, and that process continues with the beer all the way into the drinker’s glass – a good brewer needs good pubs that know how to handle and serve cask-conditioned beers. These are beer styles that have been and continue to be enjoyed by drinkers of all ages.

All our beers have at least one foot in the past, and then there’s our ‘twist’ – an imported hop, a small addition of coffee – you get the idea – beer at the next level.

What’s the best thing that has ever happened while you’ve been working in this industry?

Two highlights.

BREW DAYS – producing a batch of beer for the local pubs using local ingredients never gets old – the warmth of the mash-tun, the smell of the hops and malt and tunes on the radio – it always puts a smile on my face.

THE PEOPLE – I have met the most glorious people working in hospitality – so many varying stories and characters aplenty – love them all.

Tell us the worst thing about working in this business

The competitive nature of selling our beer is challenging; however, it’s also the driver behind making the best beer possible and innovating our processes to maintain an edge.

Did you do a job before this one?

I had a career with the Navy, Army & Air Force Institutes for 27 years. I was lucky enough to work in some lovely parts of the world – Borneo, the Mediterranean, Ireland, where I met my wife, Africa, Central America – you get the picture – supporting HM Forces with welfare provisions like shops/bars and restaurants.

My claim to fame was introducing TGI Fridays in Kandahar during the Afghanistan war – complete with stripey shirts for the staff and grid iron steaks for the customers.

What’s the funniest thing which has ever happened to you on a work day?

Have I delivered beer to the wrong pub many times and have I delivered beer to the wrong Navy – only once – well, I thought it was a British Frigate – turned out to be an American destroyer!

Do you have any hobbies?

I love to cook, bake and generally make a mess in the kitchen. I garden, and having hops in the garden is really taking work home with me. I’m a Newcastle United supporter and a Bath Rugby fan, and swing a golf club occasionally.

If you work with other people, what do you do to gel together as a team? OR If you work on your own, what is it that inspires you each day?

We are a small team at Twisted and work well together to provide what we hope is seen as great service.

Have you got any final words of wisdom for someone thinking of starting up in this industry?

If you’ve a love of beer, people and manufacturing – what else would you do?

Have you got any products on your website you might like to highlight or any offers to entice them your way?

Local beer for local people might be an ethos – your pub delivers that every day – go and have a pint – cheers.

Website https://www.twisted-brewing.com

Twitter https://www.x.com/twistedbrewing

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/twistedbrewingco

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/twistedbrewing