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The Pellicle Podcast

Pellicle

Join host, Pellicle editor-in-chief Matthew Curtis, plus regular guests, as we explore the world of beer, pubs and everything else we love to drink in our sister podcast to www.pelliclemag.com

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20 episodes
monthly
Avg 49 min
English

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#87
August 23 · 52 min
Ep87 — The State of Beer Media
In this episode an expert panel gets in the beer writing weeds to discuss the value of high quality media in beer, and why it matters in 2026 and beyond. Featuring Pellicle’s Matthew Curtis and Katie Mather, plus Tim Sheahan of The Brewers Journal, and Robyn Gilmour of Ferment.
#86
March 15 · 47 min
Ep86 — In Simpatico with Manchester's Blackjack Brew Co.
Matthew settles in at Manchester's Smithfield Market Tavern for a chat with managing director Jon Hartley, plus team members George Charlton, Matt Drage and Jack Williams, about the past, present and future of Blackjack Brew Co, and its stupendously good Italian Pilsner, In Simpatico.
#85
February 26 · 25 min
Ep85 — How Thornbridge Saved The Burton Union
In this documentary-style episode of the Pellicle Podcast, you’ll hear from several people at Thornbridge, including co-founder Simon Webster, brewing director Rob Lovatt, brewing manager Dominic Driscoll, and several others, plus Theakston’s head brewer, Mark Slater. With plenty of analysis throughout, plus an original soundtrack composed by the host himself, this is the story of how Thornbridge saved the Burton Union.
#84
January 19 · 52 min
Ep84 — Getting Hands On With New Hop Varieties
Recorded live at FyneFest 2025, in this episode Matthew chats to Robbie Harrigan, a UK-based sales representative for Yakima Chief Hops, plus Mark Cotterill of Beak Brewery in Lewes, and Brett Pemberton of Manchester’s Pomona Island. Together we chat about some exciting new hop varieties, including Krush, and taste the exciting results alongside a live audience.
#83
Dec 30, 2025 · 39 min
Ep83 — 2025: The Year in Pellicle
In this episode, Matthew looks back at the year that’s been, taking time out to share a few thoughts on his favourite articles and podcast episodes. He also talks through what were his beer and pub experiences of the year, after his favourites were published by our good friends at Craft Beer & Brewing a few weeks ago. It’s good wholesome fun, best enjoyed with something delicious pulled from your stash.
#82
Dec 16, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min
Ep82 — The Importance of Bottle Shops
In this episode of The Pellicle Podcast host Matthew Curtis is joined by the owners of three different UK bottleshops: Krishan Rajput of Stirchley Wines in Birmingham, Sam Parker of Keg Cask and Bottle in Prestwich, Manchester, plus Rosie and Greg Start, who run R&G’s Beer Vault in both Macclesfield and Congleton. Together we chew through the last few years in beer, and discuss the importance of bottle shops. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the 2025 Salford Beer Festiva
#81
Nov 24, 2025 · 59 min
Ep81 — Modern Scottish Beer
Two of the best young Scottish breweries—Edinburgh's Closet Brewing and Glasgow's Dookit—talk to host Matthew Curtis about what they do, while perhaps one of the finest contemporary breweries to exist north of the border, Fyne Ales provides balance and context to this fascinating conversation.
#80
Nov 3, 2025 · 48 min
Ep80 — Nick Scarffe and Elizabeth Townsend of Kerroo Brewing
In this episode Matthew catches up with Nick Scarffe and Elizabeth Townsend of Kerroo Brewing, on the Isle of Man.
#79
Oct 13, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min
Ep79 — Time Hopping with Siren Craft Brew
As part of Siren Craft Brew’s Time Hops event at their taproom in the village of Finchampstead, Pellicle headed down to host a panel-led discussion all about the project and the four beers that have resulted from it. In this episode I’m joined by Darron Anley, plus head brewer Sean Knight, and Martin Rake from The Malt Miller, who delivers some fantastic insight into hop procurement. It’s a long conversation, and a fascinating one to boot, especially if you’re interested in all things hop-rela
#78
Sep 24, 2025 · 1 hr
Ep78 — Into The Black (A Discussion of Dark Beer)
At FyneFest we recruited a panel from three independent breweries who are doing incredibly exciting things with their dark beers. At Lost Cause, Colin Stronge is continuing the great work he built his reputation on at breweries like Buxton and Salt, but now completely under his own steam. In Northumberland, Rigg and Furrow is focused on producing beers with a sense of place, and this feeds into some truly unique stouts and porters. Marketing manager Harriet Edgar is here to fill us in on those.
#77
Sep 1, 2025 · 46 min
Ep77 — Will Evans of Manchester Union Brewery
Manchester Union is the city’s only dedicated lager brewery, and the fact they're concentrating on Czech style lagers is an important point of difference. How do you stand out when lager is still the most visible product on any given bar? The answer is quite Mancunian in nature, as it happens: to do things differently. In this episode of the Pellicle Podcast Matthew catches up with brewery co-founder Will Evans and get to the nub of what makes Manchester’s only dedicated lager brewery tick.
#76
Aug 11, 2025 · 45 min
Ep76 — Dan Wye of Fyne Ales Origins
One of the best things about making a yearly trip to Fyne Ales for FyneFest is that I get to check in on the brewery’s Origins side project, the vehicle for its wild beers, typically produced using mixed or spontaneously fermented and then barrel-matured beer, and often showing locally grown fruit, or forage herbs. In this episode Matthew catches up with Origin's head brewer Dan Wye, and learns about how he's trying to channel a certain 'sense of place' into these untamed beers.
#75
Jul 21, 2025 · 41 min
Ep75 — Mark Welsby of The Runaway Brewery, Stockport
In the latest episode of the Pellicle Podcast—and as part of a wider, more concerted effort to focus on what’s happening within the Manchester Beer Scene—I chat to founder Mark Welsby about the origins, and first decade of The Runaway Brewery, before discussing what it means to have relocated, after embedding itself within the Stockport community.
#74
Jun 30, 2025 · 57 min
Ep74 — Should We Scrap The Pint Measure?
Should we scrap the pint measure? Or is the very notion of doing so rooted in prejudices like classism? We decided to kick off the first of our FyneFest 2025 panel discussions with this very topic of conversation. We're pleased to welcome back two previous Pellicle podcast guests, in the form of Rooster’s Ol Fozard and Lost Cause Brewing’s Vik Kastenbauer Stronge. It was also a pleasure to welcome Chris Shepherd from Cambridge-based Pastore brewing, for what we hope won’t be his only appearance
#73
Jun 9, 2025 · 41 min
Ep73 — Theakston Brewery in Masham, North Yorkshire
It’s fair to say I’ve developed something of an obsession with Theakston’s Old Peculier. Ever since deputy ed. Katie Mather and I sat down and had a couple of pints in Manchester’s The Salisbury a year or so ago, it’s become a cornerstone of my drinking habits. In this episode I make a pilgrimage to Theakston Brewery in Masham, North Yorkshire and chat to chair Simon Theakston, and managing director Richard Bradbury.
#72
May 19, 2025 · 42 min
Ep72 — Christine Clair and Nolan Russell of Crosby Hops, Oregon, USA
In this episode of The Pellicle Podcast I’m lucky enough to sit down, in person, with Christine Clair and Nolan Russll of Crosby Hops, a generational family-owned hop farm in Oregon, USA. It was a great opportunity to chat about both the challenges faced by, and the opportunities available to modern-day hop farmers, and there’s a good mix of chat that veers from the scientific and technical, to the romantic. Hops are an ingredient that gets a lot of people fired up about beer, so if you love hop
#71
Apr 28, 2025 · 42 min
Ep71 — Damian O'Shea of Heaton Hops, Stockport
Heaton Hops is a pub in an old shop front in Heaton Chapel, Stockport. It also happens to be our hosts local, and so he decided to head down and record a conversation with its co-founder and landlord Damian O'Shea. We chat about what its like to run an independent pub in 2025, indulge in a bit of nostalgia for the early craft beer days, and find out what sort of beer gets Damian out of bed in the morning.
#70
Apr 7, 2025 · 42 min
Ep70 — Paul Meikle-Janney and Damian Blackburn of Dark Woods Coffee, Marsden
Perhaps there are more similarities between modern beer and coffee than I care to admit. This is why I was thrilled to get a chance to sit down and chat with two of Dark Woods Coffee's founding partners, Paul Meikle-Janney and Damian Blackburn. I was curious to see where their perception of coffee culture is, and how what their industry is experiencing relates to what’s currently happening in beer.
#69
Mar 17, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
Ep69 — Big Beers from a Big Weekend
For this discussion we decided to focus on the biggest beers pouring at FyneFest in 2024: stouts, barleywines, strong saisons and biere de garde—the kind of beers a situation like FyneFest is the perfect place to treat yourself too. On the panel I’m joined by Gareth Young from Glasgow’s Epochal Barrel Fermented Ales, Lally Morrison from Polly’s Brew Co in Mold, North Wales, and Sean Knight from Siren Craft Brew in Berkshire.
#68
Feb 24, 2025 · 44 min
Ep68 — Paul King of French & Jupps Maltings
French & Jupps produces everything from crystal malts – designed to add sweetness and body – to patent malts that can imbue beer with everything from notes of chocolate and coffee, to bitterness and astringency. You might not have heard of them as a maltster before, but you have almost certainly tasted their malt in beers such as Harvey’s Mild, or Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale. In this episode Matthew chats to its MD, and beer industry luminary, Paul King.

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