Full name: Charlie Pountney
Role: Founder and Chief of Beer
DOB: Oct 1985
Birthplace: Wandsworth, London
Twitter: @bottleandbeanUK
Website: bottleandbean.com
Fun Fact: Charlie’s given up shaving for lent.
Hey Charlie. What was it that made you decide to escape investment banking to pursue a career in the sensory delights of beer and coffee? Did any of the stuff you learnt from the corporate world carry over into what you do today?
a) In 2012 my whole department was shut down over night. Although I managed to get a new role internally in shifted my perspective about what I wanted to get out of my career. I realised I needed to pursue something I was passionate about and which better suited my skills and personality.
b) I’m comfortable with financial matters and working in a bank forces you to be disciplined and pay attention to detail. Most of what we work on at Bottle & Bean are worlds away from what I was involved with at my previous job, but I am absolutely loving learning new skills and ways of working.
Building on that, it looks like you’ve had an epic career trajectory up to now. You were an International Competitive Sailing instructor at one point?
I’ve done all sorts of jobs, from working in pubs, being a silver service waiter, and full time sailing instructor to pay my way through university. I once worked for the council issuing student bus passes.
Where did you get the idea for online brewery and roastery tours? It’s awesome. How exactly does that work from a technical point of view?
After John and I met, we saw the affinity between craft beer and speciality coffee and the potential opportunities there. Our aim from the beginning was to share our passion for these products and help introduce people to these exciting drinks.
There is a growing interest with consumers for both products but there is a bewildering amount of choice and geekiness around them which is either confusing or too technical. We want to help these people overcome barriers to accessing the products and help guide customers on their discovery journey.
We were originally just looking at using video as a marketing and educational tool, but once we decided to focus on feature producers each month, behind the scenes tours were a great way we can bring consumers closer to the producers.
Locality and authenticity are such a big part of food and drink these days. Video gives us the power to show people where their beer and coffee is made which also enhances the experience of the consumer.
IndieAles – do you still do that?
I saw a huge opportunity with the growing interest in craft beer. As a relatively young guy getting into craft beer, I saw the problems people like me faced in terms of access to these beers and to education to find out more about them.
I ran tasting events through Indie Ales whilst I was working in the bank to help solve these issues for young adults. I’m more focussed on Bottle & Bean right now, but I just ran a craft beer and cheese tasting for a private birthday party on Friday which was great fun.
Discovering BrewDog’s Punk IPA was your ‘epiphany’ moment right? Could you tell us more about that moment and what happened as a consequence?
It’s quite funny actually. It was the 2011 Super Bowl and a few friends and I were gathering for a late night American themed feast to mark the occasion. We wanted some American beer to authenticate the experience and picked up some bottles from Sainsbury’s.
The combination of chicken wings, pulled pork and crisp this hoppy beer in my hand was simply like nothing I had ever tasted before. I thought to myself, ‘why doesn’t all beer taste this good’? I was shocked when I read on the label that it was brewed in Scotland. I couldn’t believe it.
I was searching to replicate that experience from then on…
You met your business partner John Clegg at a beer tasting event which you were running in 2014. Can you tell us a little more about that, and how the idea developed into what you have today?
At the very first beer tasting event I ever ran (I was really nervous) I met a very pretty girl called Alison who, many months later, eventually became my girlfriend. John shared an office in the design studio where Alison worked and John came along to one of the events.
John had long been eyeing up opportunities in the coffee market so we met up again a few months later to discuss a possible partnership. Along with bringing beer and coffee together there were obvious opportunities with my events experience and John’s video production skills (John runs a video production company).
Within a few months we had built and online shop which we soft launched before Christmas to test our idea. Since Christmas 2014 we have been refining the idea and focusing on a subscription model which utilises both our skill sets and focuses on an immersive discovery experience: through single breweries and coffee roasters each month.
You also qualified as a Beer Sommelier with The Beer Academy – what does that entail?
For the beer sommelier there are three preliminary training courses you are required to have attended The Beer Academy Foundation and Advanced Beer Tasting and How to Judge Beer courses.
You are also required to build a portfolio demonstrating how you have championed beer, compiled beer menus or organised beer and food matching evenings.
The examination is a blind beer tasting, requiring you to identify a number of beer styles as well as interrogation into your portfolio and a discussion around beer and food matching.
I learned some things from your various posts about beer tasting. What are 3 very important things people should KNOW?
The most important thing is to always pour bottled beer into a glass. Over 70% of taste comes from aroma, so by drinking out of the bottle you are eliminating most flavour from your beer.
I’d say if you are new to craft beer the key is keeping an open mind and trying lots of different styles. Since beer is so versatile there are some incredible flavours you can produce in a beer.
If you get intimidated about ordering a new beer and the bar, ask the barman for some advice. A good barman should ask you what you are in the mood for, or what beer you typically drink. Once you have answered they can then help recommend something for you to try.
You’re bound to find something you enjoy!
How do you find breweries and roasters to work with? Is there any serendipity?
We take great care to select the breweries and roasters we feature. Both John and I select and agree on which producers we want to bring onto the site based off criteria such as;
- Producers who maintain the highest standards of quality product and authenticity – Poor quality or performance or unethical conduct by a supplier could have a direct impact on Bottle & Bean’s reputation and our ability to deliver what we we promise to our customers
- We value great branding design and packaging which goes into communicating the brand’s story
- We favour producers who care about sustainability and try to work with people who are committed to driving their businesses and the craft drinks sectors forward by looking at ways to improve
What’s your most and least favourite beer/ale in the world?
I love beer and discovering new breweries and flavours so I am constantly on the hunt for something new. It also depends what mood I’m in and even the season… so my favourite beer is always changing. I’m currently enjoying the dark porters which offer comforting warmth and complexity but also a satisfying refreshment.
I won’t slag off one particular beer because there is a time and a place for some things. I will avoid beers in clear and green bottles because the bottles offer no, or minimal (in the game of green bottles) protection from sunlight which completely kills any hop aroma or taste and can cause a sulphur taste (this is referred to as ‘light struck’ or ‘skunked‘). [Ed: Never knew there was a word for that!]
What’s your most and least favourite coffee in the world?
I’m loving light roasts in my Aeropress right now.
I drink my coffee black in order to appreciate the true flavour of the beans. I can’t palate a long black coffee from most high street chains i’m afraid, its just too bitter.
What’s your opinion on decaf?
You can get some absolutely splendid decaf coffees these days, but it’s not something I typically drink.
Where do you see the British food scene going in the next few years? Are you in it for the long run?
We see people becoming interested more and more in where their food and drink comes from. People want to know the origin and the authenticity of what they are consuming.
People are also much concerned about taste and the actual experience of consuming these products, right from the moment of purchase through to how it is consumed and even the vessel it is served in/on.
Just look at the current fascination with locality of hops and coffee beans, right down to the patch of land and the farmer who grows them.
This is why we are positioning Bottle & Bean as the only place where you can get a full immersive experience in discovering new beer and coffee brands each month, and uncovering the stories and personalities behind them.
Both John and I believe 100% in the joy you can experience from a drinking a fantastic beer, lovely coffee or munching on some well prepared food with friends. We want to help people discover some of the products we get great joy from consuming.
What was the most mindblowing thing you ever learnt about a food or drink?
Beer was the first food or drink ever productionised. The necessity of making beer for our existence forced the first humans to settle into communities so they could farm barley and brew beer.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had, how did you overcome it, and what did you learn from it?
Getting our business in front of possible customers with no marketing budget. We work on it every day to try to come up with creative solutions! Be persistent!
Your most and least favourite foods?
I devour everything except liver and kidney. It’s not a squeamish thing – I just don’t like the flavour. I’m a sucker for humous. I could eat it with a spoon.
What’s a ‘day in your life’ like? Could you give us an insight into the world of Bottle & Bean?
I don’t have an office so I spend most of my time in coffee shops. I’ll look at my diary and plan my week around which coffee shops in London I can visit depending on where my meetings are. John and I will meet on Mondays to discuss the week ahead but most of the time I’m head buried in my laptop.
I try to get to the gym or go running when I can, I have to, given the amount of beer I drink.
Once a month we will spend a day on the road filming our feature brewer and roaster tours where we get to go and hang out with great people who make the products we love. Then there is the inevitable day or two spent hand-packing our subscription boxes and sending them out to customers followed by the live beer and coffee tastings we conduct with our producers in the second week of each month.
What’s your greatest/most memorable professional moment been, so far?
Every sale we get right now is an achievement for us. We have some landmarks set we want to reach and when we do John and I are going out somewhere nice for dinner.
Where do you get your ideas?
Compared to when I was working in the bank I’ve got an unbelievable sense of freedom to work on something I love full time and an opportunity to let my brain think creatively. I get some of my best thinking when brainstorming with John or just speaking to people.
What’s your philosophy, summed up in a sentence?
Work hard and follow your dreams.
What advice would you give to aspiring food and drink entrepreneurs who’d want the kind of results that you’ve had?
You just need to take the first step towards doing what you want to do. The first step is the hardest.
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing instead?
Either working for a bank plotting my escape or doing something else involved with beer.
If you could cook anything for anyone, anywhere you chose – who would you pick, where would you do it and what would you cook for them?
I love entertaining friends at home, I tend to cook something different each time I hold a dinner party, something that tests my knowledge and skills. Currently I’m into pairing beer with food and cooking with beer.
What’s your ultimate aim and goal for your business? If you could achieve anything with it, what would you pick? Money and reality are no obstacle, so shoot for the moon…
We want to get people excited by beer and coffee and learning more about them. John and I have joked about a beer and coffee travel show where we go around the great breweries, roasters, bars and cafes of the world, sharing the experience with people. I think that would be my perfect job.
Where next for you and Bottle & Bean?
Keep building brick by brick…
And we always ask three customary ridiculous questions…
If you were forced to live on one kind of alcohol for the rest of your life (assume that your metabolism becomes specifically adapted to use this as your sole source of calories, so you had to drink this to survive) – which would you pick, and why? (also you can’t say beer!)
I drink mostly beer so it’s a hard one. I would say whisky but I don’t think I could drink whisky as a way to survive so probably gin and tonic. I could probably drink a nice gin and tonic whatever the situation.
If you had to employ any member of the Justice League of America to come and work with you guys at Bottle & Bean, who would you pick, and why?
Can I pick Santa Claus? Whoever we could find to get our beer and coffee to people in the shortest time possible that would be incredible. Both beer and coffee need to be drunk fresh so to be able to magically get in into people’s homes in a few hours, not matter the location would be a serious plus.
If you were forced to fend off an alien invasion and singlehandedly save mankind using only the tools available at Bottle & Bean, how would you do it?
We would hold a beer and coffee tasting. Teach them all about how tasty the products are, demonstrating how great the human race is and justifying our existence. John and I would certainly lose in a battle to the death.