I am the brewery sales rep. and operations manager for a micro brewpub in Radford, VA called The River Company Restaurant and Brewery. I have been with the company since its opening in 2008, and have grown to love the place and the owners as family. We have been through our ups and downs as a company (mostly ups) and most recently, we lost our brewmaster. Although he is like family, he took it upon himself to move back to his hometown to be closer his immediate family. He took a job with a production brewery there, but still does consulting for us, answering any questions we have, and helps us to build recipes.
Currently, the owner and myself have taken up the brewing operations, and have been successful and consistent with brewing our main line of recipes. Unfortunately, the work is quickly becoming overwhelming as we also have a very nice restaurant to run.
We haven’t had many brewer applicants, and I truly do not know why considering the boom the craft beer industry is experiencing in our part of the country and in southwestern VA. IF YOU KNOW ANY EXPERIENCED BREWERS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR A JOB, please let us know.
I constantly use the Northern Brewer forums for information with my homebrew endeavors, and I’m hoping you all will come through and help us out with this one. We want to keep this good thing we have going, and keep contributing to the palates of beers lovers everywhere! Thanks!
(Not sure if I am violating the terms of use policies for Northern Brewer, but if so, I apologize in advance)
While I can’t help you out on the brewmaster thing, after following your link I had to say the restaurant looks amazing. Looks like a great place. Just thought I would toss out my compliments
Not sure if you’ve posted there but probrewer.com would be a good place to post an opening. Pretty sure most brewers won’t think of going to the want ads looking for brewing jobs so going where they hang out may help.
We are actually in the midst of banquet season at the moment, but we have suspended the use of the brewery for such events at the moment due to all the brewing/cleaning we are doing. A couple once got married in front of the cold liquor tank…it was awesome.
Seriously. I wish someone in MY neighborhood lost their brewer and was desperate for someone who has never brewed beer in a commercial brewery to step up! Good luck and I agree… great looking place you have there.
I’m sure probrewer will eventually get you an experienced brewer. Sometimes it takes some time, but when you post looking for new brewers in Oregon, usually we get inquiries from all over the country. Good luck on the search!
If you’re dead-set on getting a homebrewer, I’d recommend searching local homebrew clubs. Although professional brewing, and homebrewing don’t always translate
[quote=“S.Scoggin”]I’m sure probrewer will eventually get you an experienced brewer. Sometimes it takes some time, but when you post looking for new brewers in Oregon, usually we get inquiries from all over the country. Good luck on the search!
If you’re dead-set on getting a homebrewer, I’d recommend searching local homebrew clubs. Although professional brewing, and homebrewing don’t always translate[/quote]
I agree…with the considerable investment in such a great looking restaurant as your website portrays, I should think that you’d want someone with the proper training for the head brewer’s job. Doing otherwise is rather like hiring a home cook to run your restaurant kitchen.
Does part of your plan involve sending a homebrewer candidate somewhere to properly train for the job? (I would certainly hope so).
You may find a homebrewer who is skilled enough and willing to take the plunge and do the inevitable re-learning of some of the procedures.
On the one hand, there are a LOT of new brewery startups these days by former homebrewers…but on the other hand, a lot of them are unfortunately serving up less than stellar product.
But it seems to me that with so much at stake especially in a restaurant venture, you’d want someone more prepared and trained for the job.
The restaurant business is risky enough to begin with, isn’t it??
Just my opinion. I have to agree with S.Scoggin: keep fielding applications from ProBrewer. I think it’s your best chance at finding someone qualified.
Did you contact any of the brewing schools? It would be interesting to be a pro brewer but then again it would make it work and then I would need to find another hobby. I’m not qualified anyway, but good luck.
Good luck on your search and future!