A FORMER apprentice has reflected on his more than 20 years at Magor Brewery - which has seen him rise to the position of brewery manager.

From helping their local community with hand sanitiser during the coronavirus pandemic, to producing around one billion pints of beer a year, Magor Brewery has been a keystone of the area for many years.

Lloyd Manship, brewery manager since 2017, started his career with parent company Budweiser Brewing Group as a process automation apprentice in 1999 and has worked in many roles since - including bottling electrical engineer, bottling shift manager, process engineer in canning, a packaging manager and engineering manager.

"A great deal has changed," he said.

"In the years I’ve been working here, the business has expanded, new brands have joined the portfolio and it’s become a truly global company. Now, we are one of the three breweries worldwide that produce the three global AB InBev brands - Stella Artois, Budweiser and Corona.

"Our processes are more technologically advanced, we’re operating more digitally and our equipment and brewing is more sustainable. There have been changes to packaging too, for instance last year we removed all plastic rings from our cans. "There’s also been changes to the site, we erected a giant wind turbine last year to help power our operations with 100 per cent renewable electricity."

One thing which has stayed the same, Mr Manship says, is the sense of community.

"I grew up in Magor, and the brewery has a real community feel," he said.

"This hasn’t been more evident than during the pandemic - when we came together to support each other and our community through initiatives like providing hand sanitiser and alcohol-free beers to frontline workers."

READ MORE:

Even during the pandemic, it has been all hands to the pump at the brewery.

"We operate 24/7, so that means we produce more than 1 billion pints of beer every year," explained Mr Manship.

"Also, an interesting fact is that Magor Brewery is the only brewery in the world that produces cans of Boddingtons."

After recently announcing a £72 million investment and a recruitment drive, the brewery is looking to the future.

This, Mr Manship says, is important not just for the site but for South Wales as a whole.

"I always say that when the brewery grows, so does South Wales," he said.

"We’re not just hiring people and increasing our capacity, we’re also hiring local contractors and collaborating with local firms. "At the start of the pandemic, we donated thousands of litres of hand sanitiser to local authorities and organisations as well as setting up the Save Pub Life campaign to support pubs across the UK during Covid-19 when they faced closures."

And, after working around beer for more than 20 years, Mr Manship has not been put off a pint.

"Of course not, one of the best parts of the job is seeing our brands come to life," he said.

"I love beer and am partial to a cold Stella Artois after a busy day of brewing."