In a career that spans almost 20 years, James Smith, Brewery Lead at Stomping Ground Brewing Co, has been involved in the beer industry in a variety of positions, starting in 2006 at the Belgian Beer Café in Melbourne’s Southbank.
He jokes that he “fell backwards into the brewing industry” after returning from a two-year stint in the UK where he became fascinated with the different regional breweries and their respected offerings.
“Every time I found myself in a new town, as my job required a fair bit of travelling, I’d try whatever the local beer was, as well as getting exposed to different European beers that were available throughout the UK at the time. When I returned to Australia, the good beer landscape was in its infancy, but places such as the Belgian Beer Café had some more interesting brews available,” he told Beer & Brewer.
Down the road from his childhood home in Melbourne, a local bar was undergoing renovations and Smith was successful in securing a role at The Local Taphouse in 2008, where he was exposed to a range of both local and international beers.
It was at this point he also became involved in beer festivals, beer education sessions, and eventually the Cicerone Certification Program, where he was among the first cohort in Australia to complete the course.
“During this period, I also became involved in GABS Festival, first as a bar manager, and eventually taking over the running and set up of all the container bars.
“It was during this time that I realised I loved the hands-on aspect of beer as much as the consumption and in early 2019, I moved from The Local Taphouse across to Stomping Ground Brewing Co in Collingwood, beginning in the cellar, and moving fairly quickly on to the brewing side of things, where I find myself now as Brewery Lead,” Smith stated.
Stomping Ground’s speciality
Smith has always had an affinity for classic European and UK beer styles, and during his time at Stomping Ground he has been able to expand on this interest.
“I have been fortunate enough with the help and guidance of Head Brewer Ashur Hall to not just make plenty of these but also learn how to create them from the ground up,” he stated.
Beyond European and UK beer styles, Smith says Stomping Ground brews a variety of classic styles particularly well, be they more recent classics from the US brewing scene or from the old world.
“Having the two beer halls is an integral part of what we do and allows us to experiment with new styles and old favourites,” he added.
Along with experimenting, one of Smith’s favourite things about the industry is the people he has been surrounded with, including those who have influenced his career, from the early figures who helped him find his feet to his current colleagues at Stomping Ground.
“I am lucky enough to work with and have worked with a bunch of people who I consider not just colleagues but also friends. It makes all those early morning starts in the grips of a Melbourne winter a much more palatable task,” he remarked.
And as much as he takes enjoyment from his relationships with colleagues, he also values the relationship with his consumers.
“It is always a bit surreal when you hear someone try a beer that you wrote the recipe for and brewed say that they really enjoyed it – a particular favourite was a note written on a napkin about Yorkshire Bitter I’d made that was being served on hand pump at the beer hall. Written by someone who qualified their opinion by stating that they were from Yorkshire and saying that they loved it.
“I’ve also really enjoyed the opportunities I’ve had to work at many beer festivals along the way, and chat directly with the people who make my job possible, those who actually consume the beer.”
Some other major career highlights for Smith include visiting Bavaria in Germany, taking in the sights and bierkellers of Bamberg, and brewing a beer with a former colleague at a brewery in Grimsby, UK.