Apprentice Brewer
COTSWOLD LAKES BREW CO. LTD
Cirencester (GL7 6FE)
Closes in 29 days (Friday 15 August 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 15 July 2025
Contents
Summary
We’re looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Apprentice Brewer to join the team at Cotswold Lakes Brew Co. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a small, purpose-driven brewery. If you're passionate about craft beer and eager to build a career in brewing, we’d love to hear from you.
- Wage
-
£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Brewer (level 4)
- Hours
-
Monday – Friday 08:00 – 17:00 (9-hour shift incl. 1 hour unpaid lunch).
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 15 September 2025
- Duration
-
1 year 8 months
- Positions available
-
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
As an Apprentice Brewer, you’ll be involved in all aspects of the brewing process, learning how to:
- Assist in brewing operations from raw materials to finished product
- Support mash-in, sparging, boiling, cooling and fermentation activities
- Operate and clean brewing equipment, fermentation vessels and packaging lines
- Monitor key quality parameters such as temperature, pH, gravity and carbonation
- Record and analyse data using our management platform (BREWW)
- Contribute to cellar management, dry hopping, yeast handling and beer conditioning
- Clean and sanitise equipment to maintain high hygiene standards
- Package beer into cask, keg and can formats under supervision
- Follow health and safety procedures and work within food safety guidelines(HACCP, COSHH)
- Assist with stock management, deliveries and supplier ordering
- Support sales administration tasks including invoice management and customer communications
- Attend internal planning and production meetings, and occasionally represent the brewery at events
- Participate in industry learning opportunities and professional development activities
You’ll also be expected to complete all apprenticeship assignments and training requirements, including attendance at six two-day workshops delivered at the University of Nottingham.
Where you'll work
Field Farm
Somerford Keynes
Cirencester
GL7 6FE
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
College or training organisation
HIT TRAINING LTD
Your training course
Brewer (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Comply with industry legislation and regulations.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for fermentation and conditioning.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for raw material and ingredient handling, including storage management and rotation of brewing ingredients and raw materials.
- Clean down plant and equipment on completion of the raw material handling stage of brewing.
- Apply planning, prioritising and time management techniques
- Select and use brewing ingredients according to beer recipes.
- Adjust recipes to limit batch to batch variance.
- Maintain records for existing beer recipes.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for brewing.
- Clean down plant and equipment on completion of the brewhouse stage of brewing.
- Monitor and maintain yeast hygiene, vitality, and viability.
- Clean down plant and equipment on completion of the yeast and fermentation stage of brewing.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for beer finishing and maturation (stabilisation).
- Clean down plant and equipment on completion of the beer finishing and maturation stage of brewing.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for beer packaging.
- Clean down plant and equipment on completion of the packaging stage of brewing.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for transport and storage of bulk beer.
- Control and operation of automated or manual plant and equipment required for transport and storage of packaged beer.
- Clean down plant and equipment on completion of the product stability and retail trade quality stage of brewing.
- Apply and document product assurance checks. For example, microbiological, chemical, physical, sensory.
- Apply quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) procedures.
- Conduct and document food safety and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) checks.
- Apply sustainability and circular economy principles.
- Promote the beer industry and the brewery they are employed at.
- Apply problem solving and continuous improvement (CI) tools and techniques.
- Communicate and network with others verbally and visually, for example internal and external colleagues and stakeholders.
- Communicate in writing with others for example, internal and external customers, colleagues, and managers.
- Use information and digital technology. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
- Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion principles.
- Comply with industry legislation and regulations.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for fermentation and conditioning.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for raw material and ingredient handling, including storage management and rotation of brewing ingredients and raw materials.
- Clean down plant and equipment on completion of the raw material handling stage of brewing.
- Apply planning, prioritising and time management techniques
- Select and use brewing ingredients according to beer recipes.
- Adjust recipes to limit batch to batch variance.
- Maintain records for existing beer recipes.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for brewing.
- Clean down plant and equipment on completion of the brewhouse stage of brewing.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for fermentation and conditioning.
- Monitor and maintain yeast hygiene, vitality, and viability.
- Clean down plant and equipment on completion of the yeast and fermentation stage of brewing.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for beer finishing and maturation (stabilisation).
- Clean down plant and equipment on completion of the beer finishing and maturation stage of brewing.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for beer packaging.
- Clean down plant and equipment on completion of the packaging stage of brewing.
- Control and operate automated or manual plant and equipment required for transport and storage of bulk beer.
- Control and operation of automated or manual plant and equipment required for transport and storage of packaged beer.
- Clean down plant and equipment on completion of the product stability and retail trade quality stage of brewing.
- Apply and document product assurance checks. For example, microbiological, chemical, physical, sensory.
- Apply quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) procedures.
- Conduct and document food safety and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) checks.
- Apply sustainability and circular economy principles.
- Promote the beer industry and the brewery they are employed at.
- Apply problem solving and continuous improvement (CI) tools and techniques.
- Communicate and network with others verbally and visually, for example internal and external colleagues and stakeholders.
- Communicate in writing with others for example, internal and external customers, colleagues, and managers.
- Use information and digital technology. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
- Follow equity, diversity, and inclusion principles.
Your training plan
You will complete the Level 4 Brewer Apprenticeship.
You will attend some online learning and also be expected to attend six two-day workshops delivered at the University of Nottingham.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Maths (grade 4)Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Number skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Physical fitness
- Strong interest in brewing
About this company
Cotswold Lakes Brew Co.’s story is not steeped in history. In fact, it couldn’t be much shorter. Seven work colleagues who loved drinking beer, but knew nothing about how to make it, decided it would be fun to find out. We set out to create the best-tasting beers we could; but we wanted this idea to be about more than beer. We want to make a positive difference, both in our local community and more widely, to help address some of the bigger challenges around us. It’s what we call “Beer. With Purpose.” So as lockdown started in 2020, all we had of our brewery dream was a PowerPoint presentation. But our goal was to be ready to roll when the world got back to normal. Or in other words when people could go out again and enjoy a beer together. And look at us now! Our adventure is just beginning. We’d love you to join us
After this apprenticeship
This apprenticeship provides a strong foundation for a career in brewing. For the right candidate, successful completion could lead to a permanent role at Cotswold Lakes Brew Co. and further progression in the brewing industry.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
COTSWOLD LAKES BREW CO. LTD
Hannah Hockley
hannah@theapprenticeshippartner.co.uk
07526305325
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000331728.
Apply now
Closes in 29 days (Friday 15 August 2025 at 11:59pm)
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