Brewery Worker
The Work
As a brewery worker, or brewery operative, you could be involved in the whole beer
making process or just certain stages. You would often work under the supervision of a
technical brewer, who is responsible for the entire brewing process.
Your duties might include:
weighing and mixing ingredients
monitoring quality
labelling and packing the product
loading the beer, ready for dispatch.
You would use machinery to monitor the temperature and quality of the beer. When the
beer has been mixed and gone through the fermentation process, you would transfer it
into kegs, casks, bottles or cans for final packaging, before loading it on to lorries for
distribution.
Increasingly, the beer making process involves computerised machinery, with only certain
work (like weighing and measuring) being done by hand. However, your duties would still
include sterilising equipment, cleaning the work area, and keeping records of ingredients.
Entry Requirements
You may not need qualifications to start as a brewery worker, although some employers
will prefer you to have GCSEs in subjects such as maths and English. You are most likely
to be asked for qualifications if, or when, you want to progress and become a supervisor.
You may be at an advantage if you have experience in another manufacturing or
processing environment.
You may be able to get into this job through an Apprenticeship scheme. The range of
Apprenticeships available in your area will depend on the local jobs market and the types
of skills employers need from their workers. To find out more about Apprenticeships, visit
the Apprenticeships website.
Apprenticeships
Hours
You would usually work 40 hours a week, on a shift pattern, which could include
weekends and nights.
Conditions are likely to be noisy and humid, with strong smells particularly in the brewing
area. The warehouse or canning plant is likely to be very cool in temperature.
You would load products and unload raw materials in all weathers, and you would wear
protective clothing such as overalls and safety shoes.
Skills and Knowledge
good practical skills
reasonable fitness levels
a reliable and responsible approach to hygiene, health and safety issues
the ability to concentrate during repetitive tasks
the ability to operate machinery
a willingness to work flexibly
good teamworking skills
maths skills and the ability to accurately weigh and measure
good communication skills.
Training and Development
You will usually receive on-the-job training from your employer covering all stages of the
beer making process. You may be encouraged to work towards NVQ levels 1 and 2 in
Food Manufacture.
You could also take courses run by the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, such as:
the General Certificate in Brewing (GCB)
Fundamentals of Brewing and Packaging
the Diploma in Beverage Packaging.
If you want to progress to a supervisory post, the NVQ Level 3 in Food Manufacture may
be helpful.
More Information
Institute of Brewing and Distilling
33 Clarges Street
London
W1J 7EE
Tel: 020 7499 8144
www.ibd.org.uk
Improve Ltd
Providence House
2 Innovation Close
York
YO10 5ZF
Tel: 0845 644 0448
http://www.improve-skills.co.uk/
www.improveltd.co.uk
British Beer and Pub Association
Market Towers
1 Nine Elms Lane
London
SW8 5NQ
Tel: 020 7627 9191
www.beerandpub.com
Opportunities
There are now fewer vacancies for brewery workers because of the increased use of
machinery. Jobs can be advertised in the local press, through Jobcentre Plus offices and
on websites like Directgov (see Jobseekers page) . You could also contact breweries
directly (check the British Beer and Pub Association website for details).
Directgov (Jobseekers page)
With experience, you may progress to supervisory level, however, it is difficult to move
into technical brewing without a degree or specialist training with the Institute of Brewing
and Distilling (see the Technical Brewer profile for more information).
Income
Brewery workers can earn between £12,500 and £15,000 a year.
With experience and extra responsibilities this may rise to £20,000.
Salaries usually include a shift allowance.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
Related Profiles
Bottler
Cellar Technician
Food Packaging Operative
Food Processing Worker
Production Worker (Manufacturing)
Publican-Licensee
Technical Brewer