THE UK’s oldest licensed brewery, at Bishop Castle, embarks on the new year with confidence in its young employees after promotions for two who join the brewery’s board of directors.

Kieran Jones, 25, from Minsterley who has been with the Three Tun Brewery for five years, has been appointed as the company’s operations director while Josh Russell, 26, from Bridgnorth who has been with the brewery for 10 years, has been appointed as brewery production director.

Head brewer and director Steve Wilmer said that both Kieran and Josh have worked very hard from day one, starting out as barrel washers, equipment cleaners and delivery draymen before steadily progressing and learning all the processes involved in brewing the company’s iconic ales such as XXX, Clerics Cure, Stout, Solstice and Rantipole.

“These new appointments reward their endeavours with the Three Tuns Brewery and its team. It’s great to see these young men show such commitment and passion to the company and its ongoing development. We are all very excited about the next stage of the Three Tuns development and working together with all the team to see a youthful vision of an ancient brewery’s future.”

The Three Tuns Brewery’s licence dates back to 1642 and it was no doubt brewing for many years before that.

The next chapter of its long history is looking forward as a long standing company philosophy is to identify and invest in local ‘home-grown’ talent.