BEER MONEY
Barry’s back garden is bottling plant
A REDUNDANT oil worker has gone from black gold to Reids Gold by brewing beer in his back garden. Jobless Barry Reid decided to turn his home-brewing hobby into his full-time occupation and it’s going from strength to strength. It’s also given the now stayat-home single dad the cherished chance to see son Jamie, 12, and daughter Chloe, 13, grow up. Barry used what little redundancy money he had and with help from family went from barrels of oil to barrels of beer. He’s set up his commercial brewery operation in two garden sheds in Stonehaven, Kincardineshire. Now, as sole owner of smallbatch microbrewery Reids Gold Brewing Company, Barry is getting ahead with his nine quality craft beers. He won acclaim at this year’s Scottish Beer Awards, an endorsement of his achievements so far as a one-man band.
Barry, 42, said: “Before the business came about, I brewed as a hobby after receiving a home-brew kit for Christmas in 2013.
“I played about with for a few years using my workmates as tasters.
“I’ve always had a passion to invent and was always eager to test out new ingredients to see what came of them.
“I worked in the oil industry, so to get a few different opinions on the beers, I’d take them into work and let people try them out.
“A lot of the guys I worked with follow my progress and say they’re proud of me and what I’ve done.
“They say I’ve made something of myself despite being paid off. Financially I haven’t but I’m proud of where I’m aiming to get.
“It’s going really well and I’m starting to make a living. It’s for my kids.
“I’m sure it will come. I have the support of my family behind me.”
He’s hoping for a sales peak with his Stonehaven Fireballs’ Beer honouring the Hogmanay into New Year’s Day ceremony.
The 4.2 per cent Session IPA is made with a quality malt and three hops.
He said: “I have another 600-700 bottles ready. A lot of stock has already gone out into the local pubs.”