It’s always interesting to learn more about our customers’ brewing journeys.
Florent Vialan, Director of Brewing at Purity Brewing Co. almost turned down the opportunity to help start up the business in 2006.
We’re so glad he changed his mind – thirteen years later, Purity is a big name in the craft beer scene, known for its excellent quality brews.
We shared a beer with Florent to learn a little more about him…
How did you become Director of Brewing at Purity?
“I used to brew for Larkins Brewery in Kent.
“One fine morning in 2006, I received a phone call from Bill Carling at Carling Partnership, mentioning, ‘Two guys have started up a brewery near Birmingham, just up the M5’.
“Upon hearing this I initially put the phone down, as I had no intentions of moving to the Midlands. But he called me back and insisted that it would be worth a visit, as it was a start-up with huge potential and there was something rather special happening there.
“So I made the drive into the beautiful Warwickshire countryside the following day and well… the rest is history.”
What’s one thing you would want people to know about Purity Brewing Co.?
“We strive to offer the best quality, consistency and service to our customers. This starts with the raw ingredients we put into every beer and ends with our dray team delivering our product to a high standard.”
When did Purity Brewing Co. start working with Simpsons Malt?
“In 2007, we met with the Simpsons team – we ended up in the pub obviously…”
Which Simpsons Malt malt do you use, and what beers do you use it in?
“We regard Maris Otter as the best base malt and use this in pretty much every recipe. We then blend that with various specialty malts depending on each beer.”
You recently collaborated with Prancing Pony Brewery from South Australia. Why did you choose to collaborate with that particular brewer?
“Those guys have got a great reputation in the industry – their beers are amazing and they have a dedication to quality similar to us.
“They also use a similar brewing kit to ours – Braukon. So far, we have brewed two of their beers at our brewery and the feedback from our customers was great.
“They have now just brewed our session IPA back at their place in South Australia, I believe it’s still fermenting as we speak!”
You have been with Purity since 2006 – how does the company compare to when you first joined 13 years ago?
“We started with three blokes, a shed, a dog and one laptop between us, brewing about 80 firkins a week.
“We are now up to 50 on the payroll and brewing 2000 firkins a week. It feels like a different world but our values – Pure Quality, Pure Eco & Pure Community – remain the same.
What has been the biggest change you’ve noticed in the UK brewing market over the past few years?
“It definitely has to be the rise of craft cans and craft kegs. Hazy is not lazy anymore. The more powerfully flavoured the beer is the better.
“I also believe that the customers have more demand for premium drinks – they want better quality and will not hesitate to complain when it’s not right.”
What’s Purity’s brewing process like?
“We are very thorough in our process; we spend a lot of time honing our recipes and on quality control.
“We push ourselves hard to achieve the best possible brewing practice. I would invite anybody to visit Purity to see what we do.”
What’s on the horizon for Purity?
“Our future looks bright. We have a solid reputation which we will need to keep intact by sticking to our values and the quality of our beers.
“It’s a crowded market; there will be no space for poor quality. We continue to work closer with our community; we are lucky to be building longstanding relationships in the Midlands where there are plenty more opportunities on our doorstep.”
Do you have a favourite beer style? What is it, and why do you like it?
“I don’t have much of a favourite beer style, it will depend a lot of my mood. All I care about is tasting a beer that has been crafted with care, love and, most importantly, is balanced, where all the ingredients play their parts in the best harmony.”
…sounds like a Purity then!
Cheers to Florent for taking the time to speak with us! If you want to learn more about Purity, head over to their website.
If you’re not yet a customer but are thinking about becoming one, find out more about our quality malts, or get in touch with our helpful order team.