It lays claim to a production brewery, a "wonderfully quirky" beerhall, restaurant and events space in the East End of Glasgow and a beer garden it believes is the best.

Here, Matt Munro tells of his role in protecting the German-style brand founded by Petra Wetzel, and how "we need a change in attitude at government level towards the hospitality sector".

Name?

Matt Munro, Managing Director at WEST Brewery

What is your business called?

WEST Brewery

Where is it based?

We operate a production brewery alongside a wonderfully quirky beerhall, restaurant and events space in the East End of Glasgow. It’s home to what we believe is THE best beer garden in the whole of Scotland.

We’re proud to have called the Templeton building home for eighteen years – it’s an iconic fixture in Glasgow, and a stunning setting to enjoy a pint in. It’s not only beautiful, but has a rich history as a former carpet factory, which is a major landmark in the city. 

What does it produce/do?

Beer! Every pint, can and bottle is brewed and packaged on-site in Glasgow’s East End.

Our quest for great Scottish beer began in 2006. To our knowledge we are still the only UK brewery that brews all their beers in strict accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, the German Purity Law of 1516. The law states we can only use four ingredients when making any of our beers (water, malt, hops and yeast). We don't add any chemicals, preservatives or flavouring agents and we don't filter our beer using finings so all of our beers are vegan friendly.

To whom does it sell?

As well as selling beers to visitors to our German style beer hall, WEST on the Green, we also sell to bars, restaurants and hotels across the UK in both draught and packaged. We are listed in major supermarkets across Scotland.

Our customers are extremely diverse.  We brew really amazing beers that appeal to so many different people. The key to anything we do is that it needs to be of the highest quality, be accessible and have 'drinkability'. It might sound fun to have some weird flavour but the reality is, consumers want a product they trust and can go back to time after time.

READ MORE:

Scots firm which works with Disney has US market in its sights

Hebrides wildlife cruise firm showcasing the best of the west

How Rangers and Celtic deal 'changed everything' for Scottish firm

How many employees? 50

Why did you take the plunge?  

As an independently owned Scottish business, there’s real scope to make things happen.  Having worked with both family-owned businesses and PLCs,  the opportunity to control our own destiny is hugely exciting.

Petra and the team built an incredible brand. As MD, my role is to protect that brand, staying true to what she’s built, while growing the business – that’s very exciting.

What were you doing before?

I used to sell WEST beers in a wholesale capacity which made it an easy switch when I officially joined the company in  2017 before taking over as Managing Director in September 2021.

Previously, I was the Sales Director at Tennent’s. Before that I worked at drinks wholesaler Wallaces Express.

What do you least enjoy? 

Every role has its challenges, but there isn’t anything I don’t enjoy. There are times when our ambition is beyond the scope of our small team so we often have to take a gentler pace and more pragmatic approach. That can sometimes be frustrating, but it is really rewarding when you do get it over the line.

What are your ambitions for the firm?                  

Day to day we are constantly looking to get better across every aspect of our business. Our ambition is to be one of the most successful and respected breweries in the UK and make WEST an iconic Scottish beer brand – I don’t think that’s too far away.  Our mantra has always been “Get better before we get bigger”.                               

What single thing would most help?

We need a change in attitude at Government level towards the hospitality sector – it should be supported, not scapegoated. More locally I would like to see Glasgow City Council show vision and passion to drive business and footfall back into our amazing city. That famous slogan from 10 years ago ‘People make Glasgow’ is so true, but it’s only true if we give them a city to be proud of and encourage people to visit it.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?

Be a little more patient. Sometimes taking that extra moment opens up so many other opportunities and answers.

What was your best moment?

I was delighted to take over the running of the business from Petra. Most of my career has been working in an owner-operator environment, where I’ve had the opportunity to learn about the person, their company and the journey to success. When you are asked to take on the responsibility of something that’s been built from the ground up with blood, sweat and tears, it’s an amazing honour; you have to embrace it, and enjoy it.

What was your worst moment?

I honestly don’t dwell on the bits that go wrong as things happen all the time and always when you really don’t need them to. Learn from it, fix it and go again. There is no other way. There are often real inflection points around staff shortage, so I’m always trying to find new leaders in our kitchen and front of house teams to lead and inspire a young, dedicated and talented crew.

How do you relax?

To relax, I go to watch football with my dad and sister and we often grab some beers and food on the way. When I do get down time it is mostly spent with my wife, son and our mini dachshund, Lottie.