Phil Douglas

Director and Training Manager

Phil Douglas is a Master Brewer with over 30 years’ experience in the brewing industry.

He started in the laboratory, carrying out six-month placements at Hardy & Hanson’s Brewery and The Bass Research Laboratories during his Applied Biology BSc (Hons) degree at Nottingham Trent University.

Upon graduation, he was recruited into Scottish & Newcastle’s Home Brewery, first as a Laboratory Technician before being promoted to the position of Brewing and Fermentation Supervisor, at which time he started his Institute of Brewing Diploma Studies.

He moved on to Everards Brewery in Leicester as Production Brewer, then spent a period as Trade Quality Manager, responsible for the quality of Everards beers wherever they were served. He trained licensees on British Institute of Innkeeping accredited Cellar Management Courses, served on the IBD’s Midland Section Committee and studied part-time for an Advanced Diploma in Licensed Retail Management back at Nottingham Trent University.

He completed his Diploma in Brewing before quickly achieving the IBD Master Brewer qualification, also serving as Chairman of the Midland Section of the IBD for two years.

Keen to get back to hands on brewing, he moved to Black Sheep Brewery in North Yorkshire, first as a Brewer, then as Head Brewer, responsible for Brewing, Packaging, Quality and Transport. He was awarded a fellowship of the IBD and judged on many tasting panels for national and international awards.

Having moved to the Northeast, his next step was to Castle Eden Brewery as Operations Manager before Covid severely affected the Brewing industry. He spent a short term as Operations Manager at a large grain store before re-joining the industry as an Account Manager selling Keykegs to breweries of all sizes, experiencing first-hand the supply chain side of the brewing world.

Phil is now Joint Managing Director of Brewlab, responsible for Training, Brewing and Projects.