UK: Shepherd Neame, Britain's oldest brewer, toasts its new 'brewster'

Fellow brewers at Britain's oldest brewer, Shepherd Neame, toasted newly-qualified 'brewster' Jean Timmons with a ceremonial mashing in and beer tasting at its Faversham brewery on Thursday 8 March, Shepherd Neame announced on March 14.

She is the only Brewster (female brewer) at Shepherd Neame today, in contrast to when the brewery was founded in 1698 when the vast majority of beer was brewed by women.

To mark the occasion, brewery production and distribution director Ian Dixon presented Jean with a brewer's dipstick; traditionally used to gauge the 'wort' or liquid from the mash.

Microbiologist Jean has been at the brewery for five years and is responsible for checking that Shepherd Neame's beer leaves the brewery in peak condition. She qualified as a brewster at the end of last year after successfully completing three rigorous exams.

Says Jean, who joined Shepherd Neame following the closure of the Mansfield brewery: "After completing my second degree, I decided it was time to take on a new challenge and so embarked on the Brewing Diploma, which was much harder than I thought it was going to be!

"Although it's quite unusual to come across female brewers these days, it was almost certainly women who invented beer. For thousands of years, brewsters made the bulk of the ale produced."

Her appetite for learning means that as well as her brewing qualification she also holds a First Class Honours Degree in biochemistry and microbiology from Nottingham University and a further Degree in microbiology from the University, when she was named 'Undergraduate Microbiologist of the Year'.

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