Alastair Hook

Alastair graduated with an honours degree in brewing and biochemistry from Heriot Watt University in 1989.

He worked as a postgraduate at the University of Munich, Weihenstephan, before starting his professional career working for Prinz Luitpold of Bavaria (Kaltenberg).

He returned to the UK to set up the Packhorse Brewery in Ashford. Packhorse was the first start-up, post war brewery in the UK to specialise in authentic ‘lager’ brewing. He set up London’s first specialist lager micro brewery, Freedom, in Fulham, in 1994, and subsequently Mash and Air in Manchester (1996) and Mash (1998) in London. All three of these breweries brewed critically acclaimed, authentically brewed, continental style lagers.

Alastair realised his personal dream in January 2000 when he set up his own brewery in his home town of Greenwich, London. The Meantime Brewing Company specialises in brewery conditioned ales, lagers, fruit beers and wheat beers, and has been the only British brewery to win medals at each of the last three World Beer Cups.

Alastair has been a regular senior judge at the Great American Beer Festival since 1995 and numerous World Beer Cups. He cites the American micro brewing industry as his main professional inspiration.