Lewis Shand shares how he has brewed up a winning career.
Name: Lewis Shand
Age: 27
Job Title: Managing director, Brewmeister
What did you want to be when you were young?
When I was very young, I wanted to be a policeman, but from about the age of 10 I knew I wanted to go into business. My first venture was a car-washing business with my friend when I was 11.
What are the main career stepping-stones you have taken?
I studied business and then a law degree in Aberdeen. While completing my degrees I ran a couple of small businesses, which saw reasonable success, but they mainly taught me how to run a business on small scale.
So how did Brewmeister come about?
Following a trip to the west coast of Scotland with my friend John McKenzie, we were inspired by the local distilleries and decided to launch our own brewery, as we felt there was a gap in the market for quality beer. We started the business with a £5,000 student loan, which was a gamble due to the limited cash flow but we persevered and, as word got out, sales began to rocket.
What did you set out to achieve?
At the end of 2013, we moved to a larger, state-of-the art brewery in Keith, which has allowed us to quadruple our production, and we now have 13 employees, which is a real achievement for myself. We are hoping to expand our new premises to build a retail outlet and tourist attraction to offer tours of the brewery to educate and show customers a behind-the-scenes of craft beer.
Are there any particular challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I guess that would be running a business that is growing quickly, as well as managing and leading my team to ensure everyone is sharing the same vision.
Anything you would do differently?
When I first started the company my focus was only on producing and selling, so when the end of financial year came my books were in a complete mess. If I could go back I would have kept my accounts in better order.
Are you scared of making mistakes?
Not at all. I have made a few mistakes since starting, trusting the word of contractors being the main one. My approach is to learn from my mistakes and make sure I don’t repeat them.
Best achievement so far?
Two years ago, I was a student with a couple of stainless steel pots in an old barn. The company has now grown to employ 14 people – including me – and we operate from a custom-built brewery with brand new equipment capable of producing 48,000 bottles per week.
I am proud of everyone who has helped build the business we have today. However, we want to see even more growth particularly with exporting. We just signed up a Chinese importer and we are looking to start exporting to the USA later this year.
What’s your idea of the perfect retirement?
I’d like to have a small farm and live off the land.
What has motivated you?
I love seeing people in bars drinking a pint of Brewmeister. Especially when I am abroad, it’s a real thrill. That is what motivates me to get more customer accounts, so that we can get more and more people away from the boring mass-produced beers and on to a craft-made Brewmeister.
Your favourite stress-buster?
I find exercise the best thing to relieve stress. Particularly climbing in the Cairngorms.
Is there a time in your career you miss most?
I do miss the days when I got my hands dirty and actually made beer. Now that I am in the office focusing on growth and management it can seem less adventurous. However, from time to time I do take a day away from the desk and get stuck into some brewing.
What’s your dream job?
I’d love to travel the globe, so perhaps I could become the main export sales man for Brewmeister and then I could combine work and fun.