Gordon Strong

Gordon Strong is an award-winning homebrewer, beer judge, and author. He is the only three-time winner of the coveted Ninkasi Award. He is President Emeritus and the highest-ranking judge in the Beer Judge Certification Program, and is the principal author of the BJCP style guidelines. Gordon is the style column editor for BYO magazine, and a frequent feature article writer. He is the author of Brewing Better Beer and Modern Homebrew Recipes. He is a judge at the GABF, WBC, and many international commercial beer competitions.

Steve ‘Hendo’ Henderson

Hendo is a brewing coach and mentor based out of Brisbane, Australia. He’s onepart professional brewer, one part beer geek, one part prolific beer creator, one part
international beer judge, all mixed with a generous dash of irreverent personality.
He holds a Graduate Certificate in Brewing from Federation University and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Hendo started his brewing career as an assistant brewer at Prickly Moses in 2009, then
becoming Head Brewer at Southern Bay Brewing Co in 2012. In 2013, Hendo started his own brewing company called BrewCult. Operating as a gypsy brewer, BrewCult won the People’s Choice Beer at GABS Festival 2015 with “Milk and Two Sugars” Imperial Coffee Milk Stout and backed it up by winning the Champion Gypsy Brewer trophy at the Australian International Beer Awards in 2016. In 2017, BrewCult ceased operations in what The Craft Pint dubbed “the most high-profile casualty of 2017.”
Since then, he has dedicated himself to helping professional brewers to make world-class beer. Many of his clients have gone on to win dozens of medals and trophies at international standard beer competitions. Learning from past failures has only made Hendo more determined to learn and grow professionally and to share that knowledge. He is now involved in teaching the craft of brewing at TAFE Queensland. Hendo also runs the Rockstar Brewer Academy, an online mentoring and coaching program for professional brewers who are looking for the tools to grow their brewing skills through quality, consistency and passion.

Mazen Hajjar

​A serial entrepreneur, before establishing Hawkers Beer in Melbourne, Mazen was one of the youngest CEOs of an airline in the world when he raised over 50 USD million to start the first low-fare airline in the Middle East at the age of 29. His career started in investment banking before moving to airlines until he decided to change and focus on his one true passion, beer. During the July 2006 Israeli war with Hizbollah, he started 961 Beer brewing his first batches in his kitchen. By the time he left, 961 Beer had grown to export to 26 countries. Following the success of 961 Beer, Mazen brought samples to Australia and literally knocked on doors with his distributor as they hawked his beer to potential customers. And just like that Hawkers Beer was born. Seven years later, Hawkers is still fiercely independent, employs 50 people, and has won the title of Champion Large Australian and Champion Victorian Brewery at this year's Australian International Beer Awards.

​Paul Corbett

Paul joined Charles Faram in July 1989. At that time only two other people were working at Faram’s, so Paul found himself taking on most roles from Accounts to forklift operator!
He became Managing Director in 1996 and has been responsible for the development of the company during this time.
Whilst in his current role Paul has also served as follows:
Trustee for SIBA from 1997-2001, Chairman of the BFBi Midland Section 1999, BFBi National Chairman in 2009-2011
He is currently Chairman and Director of the BFBI, Director of the British Hop Association, Chairman of the IBD Hop Industry Committee, A Director of BTS (who runs the International Brewing Awards).
He enjoys visiting farms, drinking beer in pubs, and watching rugby in his spare time.

Pete Brown

Pete Brown is a British author, journalist, broadcaster and consultant specialising in food and drink, especially the fun parts like beer, pubs, cider, bacon rolls and fish and chips. Across nine books, his broad, fresh approach takes in social history, cultural commentary, travel writing, personal discovery and natural history, and his words are always delivered with the warmth and wit you’d expect from a great night down the pub. He writes for newspapers and magazines around the world and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme. He was named British Beer Writer of the Year in 2009, 2012 and 2016, has won three Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards, and has been shortlisted twice for the Andre Simon Awards. Pete is Chair of the British Guild of Beer Writers. He lives in London with his wife Liz, and dog Mildred.
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