Journey around the world with industry expert Brent Atthill as he pursues the perfect pint all while discussing the malt supply chain within the brewing and distilling industry.
Episode #46 | Is Africa Really Beer’s Next Big Market? w/ Franz Schepping
Everyone says Africa is the continent of growth. But what is it actually like to build a beer business there?
In episode #46 of Pursuing the Perfect Pint, Brent talks to Franz Schepping, a brewer from Germany who spent his career in Namibia, Turkey, Zambia and Mozambique, and who now runs supply chain for Coca-Cola’s Nigerian bottler.
Before the interview, Danielle and Brent look at North America’s wet harvest and pre-germination risk, and why the real impact may not show up until April or May next year.
🎧 Available on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts.
00:00 Introduction
01:09 North America’s wet harvest and pre-germination risk
03:50 Global barley markets and Black Sea disruptions
05:00 In conversation with Franz Schepping
08:04 Franz’s brewing career across Germany, Turkey and Africa
10:17 Africa’s beer market growth potential
12:13 Affordability, brand portfolios and illicit alcohol
13:26 Local barley, malting and building value chains
15:10 On-the-ground challenges: farmers and logistics
16:41 Premium brands, Heineken and consumer prestige
18:07 Currency pressures and the talent pipeline
21:36 Franz’s outlook on Africa’s growth
22:23 Franz’s perfect pint
23:59 What the conversation means for brewers and maltsters
28:10 Next week on Pursuing the Perfect Pint
Want to hear more? Subscribe for new episodes each week, and let us know in the comments: how is this year’s barley harvest affecting your market?
14 Oct 2026
Episode #45 | Canada’s Barley Has a Hidden Problem w/ Sonny Warrack
Canada’s barley crop looked great in June. Then came 40 days of almost no rain, followed by heavy rain just as the crop reached maturity. The result: harvest delays and pre-germination levels of up to 30% in some fields.
In this emergency follow-up episode, Brent heads back to Canada to see the harvest first-hand. He talks to Sonny Warrack of Bruce Farms in the heart of Alberta’s grain country. Sonny is both a grain farmer and a cattle feeder, so he sees the crop from two sides.
The pre-germ may not look like a big story yet, but Brent explains why he is watching for what happens four to six months from now. Will the germ still be holding in storage? And what happens if pre-germinated barley has to go onto an export vessel?
Want to hear more? Subscribe for new episodes each week, and let us know in the comments: how is this year’s barley harvest affecting your market?
#PursuingThePerfectPint #Barley #Malt #MaltingBarley #Canada #CanadianBarley #GrainMarkets #BeerPodcast
7 Oct 2026
Episode #44 | The British Pub Is Closing at a Rate of One a Day. Can It Be Saved? w/ Emma McClarkin
Beer is holding steady in the UK. So why are pubs still closing at a rate of one a day?
In episode #44, Brent and Danielle talk with Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association and Chair of the World Brewing Alliance, about what it means to be a pub, why the cost of doing business is crushing the sector, and what has to change to protect the place where communities come together.
In this episode:
Market update: why the world isn't short of barley, but malting barley is tightening and costs are rising
Why pubs and breweries are closing, and the energy, supply chain and tax pressures behind it
What makes a pub a pub, and why venues are rethinking how they're classified
The £30 billion social value of pubs, and a new UK government pledging support
Low and no alcohol: how it's becoming a draw for the pub rather than a threat
Drought, heat waves and the future of malting barley
Why beer needs to tell its story, from farm to pint, and how to bring more women to the beer table
Emma's one wish for the industry, her five-year vision, and her perfect pint (hint: an amber ale in a field)
Timestamps
00:24 Welcome and episode intro
00:47 Market update with Brent
03:23 Interview with Emma McClarkin begins
05:57 State of UK beer volumes and the on/off-trade balance
07:24 How are UK pubs really doing?
09:15 What makes a pub a pub?
11:20 Costs, supply chains and government support
13:43 Low and no alcohol as a way to bring people in
15:46 Barley, hops and the impact of drought
18:03 Beer awareness and the "beer proud" mindset
21:37 Emma's one wish and her five-year vision
25:39 The perfect pint
27:24 Key takeaways: social connection and pub survival
Want to hear more? Subscribe for new episodes each week, and let us know in the comments: what does your local mean to you?
#PursuitOfThePerfectPint #BritishPub #Beer #BeerPodcast #Barley #Malt #PubLife #NoAndLowAlcohol
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