Why subscribe to British Beer Breaks?

There’s something magical about the alchemy of beer and travel. It’s a potent mix that has the power to transform our experience of a destination and let us touch the very soul of a place. We help get the best of both out of different destinations around the UK, with insights and recommendations about how to connect beer and travel. Subscribe to show your support and keep up to date with our news.

The people at the keyboard…

Phil Mellows, our beer expert

The grandson of an East London publican, Phil has spent the past 35 years as a professional drinker, writing about pubs and breweries for industry magazines and developing an insider’s knowledge through meeting the experts who make and sell beer. He started out on the pub trade’s Morning Advertiser when it was still a daily newspaper and continues to write for the title on a freelance basis today, alongside working for brewing industry bible The Brewery Manual. Phil has travelled the country tasting beers and talking to brewers about their craft and, since 1998, has been a judge for pub industry awards. A founder member of the British Guild of Beer Writers, Phil has also spoken to academic audiences on pub history and the recent rise of micropubs and brewery tap rooms.

Kate Simon, our travel expert

Kate’s family has run even more pubs than Phil’s – her mum and uncle were publicans in the Midlands and her grandmother met her grandfather while pulling pints in a Plymouth pub. But Kate’s expertise lies in travel. She is the former Travel Editor of The Independent on Sunday and has written for the travel pages of national newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Telegraph and National Geographic Traveller UK. Kate has reviewed more than her fair share of hotels and holidays, as well as judging hospitality awards. She has also co-written two books, How To Pack For Any Trip (Lonely Planet, 2016) and Slow Travel Cheshire (Bradt, 2018). And she’s a co-founder of Equality in Tourism, a charity dedicated to ensuring women have an equal voice in global tourism. Kate’s day job is running Traveltappers, a specialist communications consultancy for British travel and tourism companies and organisations.

Thanks to Simone Kane, our former partner in all things beery, for helping get British Beer Breaks off the ground, and Campbell Reid for a timely thought that sparked the initial idea.