Beermerchants.com was one of the UK's first online craft beer retailers. I built it from a simple start within Cave Direct, the UK's oldest specialist beer importer, growing it from small seeds to a nice annual revenue in six years — with virtually no marketing budget beyond headcount.

The site became a gateway for beers that were genuinely hard to find in the UK and Europe at the time. We worked directly with breweries, many from the very moment they opened, which meant fresher stock and early access to brewers who would go on to define modern craft beer. Belgian beer, German classics and emerging British craft were our specialities, but we also imported significant US craft brewers — Port Brewing, Hair of the Dog, and many others — alongside world-class producers from everywhere.

More than just retail, Beermerchants helped shape the conversation around what beer could be. I was showcasing beers like Mikkeller Black (17.5% imperial stout), all the great Lambics, and early significant collaborations, and present at events like Beer Exposed in 2008 — I worked hard to explain beers that challenged assumptions and opened doors. That work earned a mention in Forbes, discussing imperial pilsners before most people knew what they were.

There's a can of beer that still sits on the owner's office wall — from a meeting where I said "the can is the future of craft beer" and everyone laughed. I left to join BarthHaas, but the business I built continues as a significant entity for the family-owned parent company.