Dan was selected from among a pool of brewing talent across the UK and Ireland, as part of The Brewers Journal Awards, and his triumph follows a series of high-profile awards and acknowledgements for the Adnams brand throughout the summer.
38 year old Dan grew up around a brewpub called the Green Dragon in Bungay. His experience nurtured his love of brewing and inspired him to study for a BSc in Brewing & Distilling at Herriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Before enrolling in the final year of his degree, he took a voluntary year out to gain hands-on experience in the industry and worked as a laboratory technician with Fullers in Chiswick, West London.
He graduated in 2010 and took a position with Adnams in early 2011. In 2021 he took on the role of head brewer.
Reflecting his passion for his work, Dan was unable to collect his award in person as he was travelling around America to select Adnams’ latest hops. He said: “That’s a bit of a surprise. Thank you! Well, we’re a sum of our parts, aren’t we. So, thanks to all of the team as well, because we’ve got some super-talented brewers.”
Fergus Fitzgerald, Production Director, picked up the accolade on his behalf and commented: “The entire Adnams team is incredibly proud of Dan. This is such a well deserved honour and a great way to applaud the commitment and passion which Dan throws into his work on our behalf.”
The comments were echoed on the night by Tim Sheahan, group editor at The Brewers Journal, who said: “ ‘Brewer of The Year’ category recognises the brilliant brewing talent we have here in the UK and Ireland. Competition was predictably incredibly high across the board, but Dan Gooderham is an incredibly worthy winner.
“As head brewer at one of the UK’s most revered breweries he has shown immense skill in recipe development, equipment commissioning and leading a team. He is an inspiration for brewers far and wide.”
Photo: Dan and the brewery team
