Beer Hour: Russell Bisset
Northern Monk founder and managing director Russell Bisset speaks to Jessica Mason about the rise of hazy beer and “getting the balance right” when it comes to growing a business and keeping the category alive.
Bisset considers the state of the sector. Could it be that each new trend for a differing style cannibalises the sales of another, or does a rising tide lift all ships? He’s plumping for the former. Why? Because “Beer is facing real headwinds, and social media has only accelerated trend-hopping,” Bisset explains.
In so many ways, and especially “against a backdrop of brewery closures and tough headlines, it’s depressing to see beer turn inward,” he says. There’s “craft vs trad, stout vs hazy, one style tearing another down,” he observes. But there are some glimmers of hope if you look for them.
Diversity and community
For example, as he explains: “Beer has thrived for thousands of years because of diversity and community. Let’s stop declaring things ‘dead; and start celebrating the success of all the styles that keep this category alive,”
How will this be achieved? Bisset considers this for a while, before admitting that there is a core mission for Northern Monk: “We’re going to stay fresh from the north and ‘keep the faith’.”
Bisset explains: “Northern Monk was founded in a cellar in Bradford in 2013 with a dream of a brewery that was ‘fresh from the north’. This dream was born from a deep love for the history and heritage of traditional English ales, a thirst for the new wave, innovative and fresh beer styles coming over from the US and a passion for our home – the north.”
Cross market influence
Looking at the portfolio, Bisset admits:“We really specialise in hazy pale ales” and highlights how he loves “the way in which the world of food and drink evolves based on global influence” and points out that “often with countries attempting to make versions of styles from other countries at home”.
Bisset observes how “the West Coast IPA was born of US attempts to make British IPAs of old” and insists that “the hazy IPA is really an evolution of that, as brewers in the US attempted to see how they could maximise the hop characteristics in beer”. Because of this, he reveals that the brewery is “on a mission to take all of that history, heritage and innovation and replicate it in a more sessionable, British way”.
Flavours to complement the brews has also become important to the brand owner. For instance: “In food this approach has given us what we know as Indian food, Chinese food and of course, the deep-fried pizza.” But primarily, of course, “hazy beers, and more specifically Faith, can be delicious”. Of this there is no dispute.
Bisset admits: “We’re fresh off the back of our company AGM. Our company values are: fresh, humble, spirited, inclusive, community.” He explains: “Our team really embraces these and it’s powerful to be a part of a group of people that live by such a shared set of values. First and foremost, it’s our mission to make the experiences we create delightful.”
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‘Beer has always united people’
After all, by Bisset’s confession: “Booze isn’t the best thing for you in the world – that hasn’t changed. However, there is an upswing and another way of looking at mental health and socialising, we expect people to ‘have your back’.” But, he points out: “People are increasingly health conscious and aware of that. However, beer has always united people and can be delightful. So that’s our focus. If you’re just going to have one, let’s make it one really special beer.”
Bisset admits that there is also a plan afoot to make the most of the business’s focus on other healthy pastimes: For instance, Northern Monk has always celebrated outdoor spaces, because, as Bisset puts it: “They’re one of the most precious assets we have”. With this in mind, the brewery wants to “celebrate these even more” and also reiterate “beer’s role as part of a balanced lifestyle” and also going hand-in-hand with “time in the outdoors and being active”.
Looking at how the brewery is practising what it preaches, Northern Monk is also the official beer partner of the Great North Run. As Bisset explains: “We’re continuing to build on our partnership with The Three Peaks to celebrate this, as well as evolving the mission of our Northern Monk foundation’s work to focus on supporting access to the outdoors for all.”
Focus on alcohol-free
Are there any other plans for the brand for the future? Seems so. In fact, Bisset notes how Northern Monk is “going to make Faith Alcohol Free the absolute best it can be, and keep innovating in the alcohol-free space”. A prudent move amid the growing popularity for no and low-alcohol beers.
There are, however, many considerations for the brewery and ways that it needs to remain savvy to safeguard its future. Bisset says he has “heard the challenge of scaling in ‘craft’ beer” which is often “described as being a battle between the inherent thirst for innovation that gave rise to the category in the first place, vs the need to have focus and efficiency as you scale – particularly against category headwinds”.
This has meant remaining flexible and as agile as possible. What began as making beer with intent has also become a plight to keep up with trends and yet not move so far from the brand’s original positioning, provenance and battlecry.
Aim to ‘get the balance right’
He admits that it is “a constant quest to get that balance right” and only shift a little to accommodate market fluctuation.
Staying philosophical, Bisset asks: “How many brewers have the same core SKU as they did when they started, yet how many have survived without focus?”
Could it be that it ’s a case of staying true to your roots, while also keeping one eye on what bears fruit and making adjustments without losing sight of what mattered in the beginning.
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