#97 Brian Dickson | Northern Monk

10 years is a pretty significant chunk of time, in any walk of life. So you can’t blame Brian Dickson, who helped start one of the UK’s most popular modern breweries, of being proud of how far Northern Monk has come in that first decade. And if you work in and around the craft beer industry, you probably know Brian. There’s a strong chance you’ve probably brewed with him, too. Such is his appetite for working with others. A meeting at a beer festival with fellow co-founder Russell Bisset would set the duo on a path to grow a business that produces countless beers, has won a wealth of awards and exports to numerous countries. The brewery also employs a team of nearly 100, too. And with their popular Hop City festival on the horizon this May, we recently visited Brian at the Northern Monk Refectory in Holbeck, Leeds, to discuss their achievements in that first decade, the importance of working with the community, and the brewery’s collective desire to give people the best beer experiences they possibly can.