Shepherd Neame brewer Mike Unsworth talks to What’s Brewing about his role at the Kent brewer and his latest beer Maverick, dedicated to the pioneering founder of the Faversham brewery, Richard Marsh.

When did you get into beer?

I joined the Courage group in 1989 after completing a sandwich year at the Charles Wells brewery as part of my degree in industrial biology. The brewery closed in 2010 and I worked for a short time as an operations manager for Coca Cola before moving overseas to become plant manager at the Cascade Brewery Company in Tasmania. I joined Shepherd Neame in April 2018.

What does your role at Shepherd Neame involve?

I lead our brewing team in the production of our award-winning beers, from British classic ales such as Spitfire Amber, which carries the Royal Warrant, to Bear Island East Coast Pale Ale, and the Whitstable Bay Collection.

We also brew international lagers under licence including the original Thai beer, Singha. Part of my role includes working with the team to develop new beers, which was one of the reasons for first launching Cask Club – we wanted to offer an exciting new range of innovative cask beers incorporating modern styles and flavours, while also celebrating some seasonal classics.

How did you come up with the recipe for this year’s first Cask Club beer, Maverick?

I was keen to brew a light, refreshing cask beer, and this combination of hops and malt seemed like the perfect combination. At 3.4 per cent, it was important that we were able to retain a good level of body to the beer, and also get that delicious fresh hop aroma and flavour.

What malts have gone into Maverick?

I’ve used standard ale malt, crystal malt and caramalt which give a pale golden colour. There are also some oats in Maverick, which give the beer a slightly silky mouthfeel.

What hops are used?

I chose US Centennial hops in the brewhouse, with new English varieties Olicana and Jester hops, plus Ernest, for dry hopping. I wanted to try the new English varieties to see what flavours and aromas they would deliver when combined together – and I am pleased with the result.

Did you experience any challenges with the beer?

It can be tricky to produce a 3.4 per cent cask ale and maintain the fullness or body, so it was somewhat of an experiment. As with all of our new Cask Club beers, we usually learn a few things from the first brew. But I am delighted with how Maverick has come out – we have produced a really pleasant, drinkable, light beer.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I love developing new beers and then seeing them prove popular with drinkers, which is why I’m really enjoying being involved with this year’s Cask Club. It offers our brewers the opportunity to be creative and try something new. Shepherd Neame may be Britain’s oldest brewer, but we are constantly looking for new ways to use that brewing knowledge to innovate and delight.

To encourage drinkers to enjoy its new Cask Club range, Shepherd Neame is offering an exclusive 20 per cent discount for members on the beers when a valid CAMRA card is presented at the bar. It has also just launched its Cask Club Passport for 2023, offering the chance to earn free pints of cask ale and an exclusive T-shirt, along with the opportunity to be entered into a prize draw for a weekend getaway.