Steve Wellington — the master brewer who helped resurrect several of the famous Burton beer brands — has announced he is retiring later this summer.
Wellington started working for Bass in 1965, a year after the Worthington’s brewery was demolished, and brewed both Bass and Worthington’s beers. He left Bass to run his own business, teaching people how to brew at home, then returned in 1994 to run the White Shield microbrewery as part of the Brewing Museum in Burton. He brewed some of the beers Burton had lost: Worthington’s E, Imperial Stout, Barley Wine, and the legendary Worthington’s White Shield.
Molson Coors, which since bought the brewery, gave Wellington what they call a “Christmas present” in 2010, a new William Worthington’s Brewery, constructed in listed buildings at the National Brewery Centre.
In a press release from Molson Coors, Wellington said of his time brewing in Burton:
“I’ve been brewing all my life and enjoyed every minute of it. I have worked with some of the most inspiring people in the industry and am honoured to have worked in some equally inspiring brewing environments, most recently at the new microbrewery in Burton. The industry is undoubtedly facing testing times, but while we continue to produce iconic beers such as Worthington’s White Shield, young aspiring brewers are guaranteed a fulfilling, rewarding career.â€
Wellington was named “Brewer of the Year’ by the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group in 2007 and Guild of British Beer Writers’ Brewer of the Year in 2004.