Pellicle is an independently owned magazine and podcast devoted to exploring beer, wine, cider, food and travel, and the joy to be found within these cultures. Based in Manchester and Edinburgh, it was founded in 2019 by writer Matthew Curtis and brewer Jonathan Hamilton, who act as its editors-in-chief. In 2021 they recruited the incredibly talented Lily Waite and Katie Mather, who joined as associate editors, who complete the publication’s small team.
The publication is dedicated towards covering the most interesting and exciting elements of beer, wine and cider, and pays all of its contributing writers, photographers and editors for their work. This is made possible thanks to sponsors, Loughran Brewers Select, and its growing number of Patreon subscribers.
Pellicle is extremely excited to be hosting live podcasts at this year’s IMBC, one of the most excellent beer festivals in the country. This is especially so now that our co-founder Matthew has made Manchester his home city (he’s looking forward to getting the bus to the Baths this year). We’ll be hosting these discussions and interviews every day (excluding evening sessions) in the basement, below the Thornbridge room. Each talk will be free to attend, but you’ll need to sign up for a ticket as capacity is limited. We look forward to you joining us there!
Tickets for the following will be made available the week before the festival, alongside our tastings:
THURSDAY 1PM — HOW DOES THE BEER INDUSTRY NAVIGATE A COST OF LIVING CRISIS?
Beer is often framed as a “drink of the people” — an affordable, accessible product that’s easy to be enjoyed by many. The reality is that with the increasing cost of beer, often driven by the cost of raw materials, equipment, staffing costs, and not to mention some of the highest tax rates in the world, beer in the UK is getting less accessible. How egalitarian is beer, really, when those who make and sell it can afford to enjoy the latest, and most exciting beer releases for themselves?
In this session, hosted by Pellicle co-founder Jonathan Hamilton, we will look to explore the drivers behind the increasing cost of beer, and how this is potentially creating a barrier in terms of accessibility. How do we ensure that price doesn’t become an obstacle in the way of making beer more open and inclusive, as the industry collectively tries to figure out how to ensure that beer is there for all of those who wish to enjoy it?
FRIDAY 1PM — AN OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY IN BEER
How sustainable is making beer, really? We’re often presented with marketing and press releases that tell us how good for the planet certain beers are. They could be brewed with leftover bread, or the brewery could be offsetting their carbon footprint by planting trees. Some breweries are even accredited by organisations such as B Corp, or the Soil Association, reinforcing their green credentials. Surely, beer, and the production of, doesn’t have that much of an impact on the planet?
It’s time to have an honest conversation about sustainability in beer. As a product reliant on industrially farmed products such as wheat, barley and hops — some of which are shipped thousands of miles before they’re used in brewing — beer has a long way to go before it can truly be considered sustainable. In this discussion we’ll discuss what beer, and its drinkers, can do to be more environmentally responsible. We’ll also look at some key future trends that could impact this, such as regenerative agriculture, and bottle/can deposit return schemes.
SATURDAY 1PM — INTERVIEW AND Q&A WITH DAVID JESUDASON, AUTHOR OF DESI PUBS
Released to critical acclaim in May 2023, Desi Pubs is a guide to the British-Indian pubs that have sprung up throughout the UK since the 1960s. It’s author, David Jesudason, spent months travelling the length and breadth of the country, not only to visit as many of these pubs as possible, but to also unpack the idea of the British pub as an institution, and how Desi Pubs have built on this, as various communities have sought to create safe, inclusive spaces for themselves.
At this session David will join Pellicle co-founder Matthew Curtis for an in depth chat about the book, as well as some deeper topics, from inclusivity and accessibility in beer and pub culture, plus some lighter ones, such as where to find the best mixed grills! David will be available for a Q&A after the interview, and will be selling and signing books too.
SUNDAY 1PM — THE GREAT CRAFT BEER DEBATE 2023
An IMBC staple returns, this time helmed by Pellice Magazine’s co-founder, and author of Modern British Beer and the forthcoming guide Manchester’s Best Beer, Pubs & Bars, Matthew Curtis. A decade ago, ‘craft beer’ was the most exciting thing since sparkled pints. Inspired by a brewing revolution that occurred in the United States, it fundamentally changed brewing in the UK, with thousands of new entrants eager to take part in this exciting category.
Or did it? What if the very idea of craft was, in fact, rooted in what long time beer enthusiasts have known all along: that good beer is exciting, delicious, and a thing to be cherished. In this years IMBC Great Craft Beer Debate we’ll ask if it’s finally time to drop the C-word forever, and instead focus on the fact that all beer, weather its made by a brewery that’s 200 years, or 2 months old, deserves to be cherished and celebrated for what it is: the delicious, social glue, that binds so much of British communities and culture together.