I always love these conversations — the ones where you begin with a simple question and quickly find yourself talking about everything from ultra-marathons to chilli jam, career pivots and those chance encounters that quietly change the direction of a life. Sitting down (virtually) with Joe Thomson, founder and head brewer at Firebrand Brewing, was exactly that.
From becoming a head brewer at just 21 to building a thriving and ever-evolving brewery in Cornwall, and somehow finding time to train for 100+ mile races, Joe’s story is equal parts instinct, resilience and a knack for making the most of opportunity when it appears. Here’s what we talked about…
What does your Monday morning routine look like?
Generally, it’s about finding out what’s gone wrong over the weekend and fixing it, which thankfully is not usually too much. Then it’s straight into planning the week. I’ll send an email out to the team, go through what we’ve got coming up, and order everything we need for brewing. This time of year we can be doing up to ten brews a week, so it’s fairly busy. I do try to get to the gym before work as well, just to wake myself up for whatever the week is going to bring.
What did you want to be when you were young?
Something like a marine biologist or working in marine aquaculture. That was definitely the original plan.
What was your first full-time job?
I had been working in hotels for a couple of years, moving around and living in different places, but the brewery was the first proper full-time role. It was not really intended as a long-term career at the time. I was studying and working in a pub, and I ended up chatting to a local on the other side of the bar about brewery prices. He said if I came back with a proper business plan, he had a milking parlour out the back that we could use and he would back it. So that was how it started. I dropped out of my course and went for it. I certainly did not imagine I would still be doing it all these years later.
What has been the best moment in your career?
I do not think there has been one single moment, it is more a collection of them. Recently, seeing how well our alcohol-free beer, Shorebreak, has done has been really special. It has gone from a small idea to something that is nationally recognised, with people talking about it on television. That is quite surreal. We have won awards as well, which is always great, but the most rewarding moments are when something you have created really connects with people.
What has been the worst moment in your career?
There have been a few difficult periods, but the toughest was around 2015 to 2016 when we had some major financial challenges and effectively had to shut parts of the business down. That was by far the lowest point.
COVID was also very uncertain at the beginning. Like everyone else, we had no idea what was going to happen and everything suddenly stopping was a shock. But in our case, it actually turned into something positive over time. We had installed our first canning line a few months earlier and, by coincidence, our website had gone live just before lockdown. That meant we were able to pivot quite quickly to selling directly to customers online.
In the longer term, that solved a big challenge for us. Previously, we mostly sold through pubs, which makes it harder to connect with the people actually drinking the beer. Suddenly we were speaking directly to customers, which changed a lot for us. So while it was difficult at the time, it did lead to something positive.
If you could invite any two people for dinner, who would they be and why?
David Bowie would be amazing. The music is incredible, but he also just seems like a really interesting and quite funny person. Then probably Vinnie Jones. I have always supported Wimbledon and remember him from the early 90s, so that would be an interesting contrast. It would make for quite a strange but entertaining evening.
What’s a hidden talent or skill that most people don’t know you possess?
I can juggle. That is probably about it. I have tried unicycling as well, but not very successfully.
What is your most memorable foody childhood memory?
My parents were really into food, especially curries. We did not go out that often, but when we did it was a big occasion and we would order everything. At home they cooked a lot as well, particularly curries, so that is probably what stands out most.
What song or album do you put on when you need an instant mood boost?
Something from that late 90s or early 2000s era. Blink-182 or The Offspring, that sort of thing. It is probably not the most refined choice, but it definitely works.
What’s the most unexpected lesson you’ve learned from your career so far?
The value of sticking at something. If you keep going long enough, things do tend to come around. Also, trusting your own judgement. Some of the things that have worked best for us have not come from careful planning, they have just been ideas we have decided to go with.
What’s your favourite way to unwind and de-stress?
Running, without a doubt. I only started a couple of years ago because my son wanted to do parkrun and needed someone to run with him. I had never really run before, but I loved it straight away. He has since stopped, but I have carried on and it has escalated quite a bit. Running along the Cornish coast path is probably the best way to switch off.
What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
Travelling around southern Africa when I was about 18 or 19. We went to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Namibia with very little planning, mostly using local buses. It was not the quickest way to get around, but it was an incredible experience.
What is your favourite food or drink product on the market right now and why?
There is a smoked chilli jam made by The Aussie Smoker that is excellent. It has a good balance of sweetness and heat with a really nice smoky depth. It works on pizza, cheese, or pretty much anything.
What would you do if you weren’t in the food, drink and hospitality industry?
Probably something in marine engineering. Inspecting boats or underwater structures, that sort of thing. I like maths, so something technical would suit me. Possibly an electrician as well, although I suspect I might get bored.
What would you like to be doing in five years’ time?
Probably still doing this, just a slightly more stable version of it. Not necessarily much bigger, but with a bit more structure in place. Maybe having a brewery manager and smoothing out the seasonal challenges a bit. I enjoy the mix of creativity and the more practical side of it, so I would not want to lose that.
What is happening in your life right now that you would like a shout out about?
The growth of the alcohol-free side of the business has been really exciting. It has all been quite organic, we do not have huge marketing budgets, but it is steadily growing and being well received. We have also just launched a new lager which has started really well. There is nothing better than putting something out there and seeing people genuinely enjoy it.
You can contact Joe through his LinkedIn Page HERE and follow Firebrand Brewing on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with their news.
