SIBA announces Brecon Brewing owner as new chair

21-Feb-2017 - Last updated on 22-Feb-2017 at 09:57 GMT

Buster Grant: originally elected to SIBA's board in 2008

The owner of Brecon Brewing has been appointed the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) new chair, during what he calls a "challenging" period for the sector.

Buster Grant has more than 16 years' experience in the trade and has been heavily involved in SIBA since his first election to the board in 2008.

He also joined SIBA’s executive board in 2016, prior to his appointment as chairman this week.

Grant will take the role of chair for the first time at SIBA’s annual general meeting on 16 March, which will be held at the organisation's beer and brewing trade show BeerX.

Opportunities and challenges facing the trade

Following the announcement of his new position, Grant was quick to point out the opportunities and challenges that face independent brewing.

He said: “The reputed curse of ‘may you live in interesting times’ has never seemed truer, with a number of threats and opportunities facing our industry.

“However, I see mostly opportunities and I am delighted to be working with SIBA’s managing director Mike Benner and the team towards a goal of a more professional industry with a real focus on quality products, sustainable business and fair access to market for all our members, whatever their size.”

The current chairman, Exe Valley Brewery’s Guy Sheppard, will step down at the end of his three-year term.

Wealth of experience

Benner welcomed Grant to the position, along with the appointment of Moor Beer Co’s Justin Hawke as the organisation's vice-chairman.

He said: “I look forward to working closely with them in what I expect to be a challenging but exciting future ahead for the independent craft brewing industry.

“Grant brings with him a wealth of experience and has for many years been a strong voice on behalf of SIBA’s brewing members, on the SIBA board and from last year, our executive board and now as our incoming chairman.

“Together we will present SIBA’s ‘2020 Vision’ at the AGM in Sheffield next month (March) setting out how we will help members thrive in a challenging marketplace with a positive and hard-hitting response.

“A sustainable market must be based on excellence, sustainability and growth, the key themes of BeerX this year.”