On the 16th of October, we're celebrating our 5th Birthday here at Unity (stick the date in your diary, we have an awesome day planned!) so we're taking the opportunity to look back over those 5 years and the people that have helped Unity be who we are today. 

In our 4th instalment of long-reads celebrating the people that make Unity who we are, we bring it on home and I get to talk about our incredible staff that keeps these cogs turning and truly make us the company we are.

Not only are we incredibly lucky to have such a superb team, we have been fortunate enough to have had some great people come though and move on to pastures new, from taking a step up in their careers to other breweries to spending more time on their allotments (you know who you are ;) ), we're super grateful for all the work they put in to help us on our journey to be where we are today.

So let's introduce our current team and why they are so awesome.
Starting with our longest standing member of staff and Operations Manager Bolo Hooper. Bolo started with us towards the end of our first year to help out with taproom days and sales admin after being Head Chef and Beer Buyer at a local beer spot. He's since done pretty much every other job in the brewery apart from actually brewing and now is the glue that holds our who operation together. We've been buddies since we were teenagers and due to his unwavering professionalism, is the real exception to the rule of don't employ your mates.

Sara Hewlett our Sales & Marketing Manager started with us at the very end of last year and has already solidified herself as true Unity Family. Rarely will you ever meet someone so incredibly organised as Sara (how many notebooks mate?!) and it shows with her meticulous attention to detail. Chatting to us on social media? Popping down to a tap takeover or one of our trade customers placing an order? You'll be chatting to Sara.

Our brewer Matt Vearncombe has only been with us for 6 months and it really feels like years. Coming to us with some really great experience, he pretty much owns that brewhouse and is an unstoppable machine of productivity! His dedication, attention to detail and unwavering positivity shows in every can and keg of beer we make. If you're drinking it, chances are he's made it (yeah I do occasionally get in the brewhouse now and again to prove I can still do it!) and boy does he do a great job.

Visit our taproom? Then you'll know Freya. Freya Cochrane is our awesome Taproom Manager, the perfect welcome to our home in Southampton to enjoy a beer in our brewery. Freya came to us from Brewdog and is awesome and running tastings, sourcing our selection of guest products and making sure you have an incredible experience at our taproom.

We also have an incredible team of part-timers. Connie has been working in our taproom since we opened in our new site and is a supreme legend, Charlotte is the latest member of our taproom team and a true hospitality professional. Dan has just started learning the ropes as Brewery Assistant from a looooong time as a homebrewer and Mandy keeps our books like an absolute BOSS.

I also want to show some love to our designer Matt Canning who although is technically not a member of our staff but a contractor, he's an integral part of the family. Matt came to us after playing a gig we had at the brewery asking if he could design a label for us, quickly after I had him doing every single label. Now he is such an integral part of our brand, designing all of our output from beer labels and glasses to posters and can boxes.

Be sure to show our team some love next time you're here or communicating with us on socials, they all work incredible hard and have an equal part to play in getting that delicious beer into your hand.

Next weeks final instalment is all about you lot, our awesome customers and shareholders!

Jimmy

Come and celebrate with us at the brewery on Saturday 16th of October, more details on the Facebook event HERE. 

You can also keep an eye on (and use!) the hashtag #UnityHigh5 to see all the shenanigans we're getting up to in preparation for our birthday party.