Whilst studying Music at St. Andrews University in Scotland, David gained an enviable reputation as an expert home-brewer.  Armed with little more than a couple of "Beer Spheres" and a Baby Burco, he turned out home-brews that had an unusual quality - they didn't taste like home-brew...

Needless to say, his room became a very popular place to hang out!

On leaving St. Andrews, David became a musician in the regimental band of Her Majesty’s Scots Guards with whom he served and toured the world for nine years.

A number of musical posts later, a move to Sheffield saw David take up an appointment as Head of Music at a local Secondary School.

However, the trials and tribulations of teaching became too much to bear and a third career as a professional brewer became a reality – a dream come true for most musicians (or is that just the ones we know…?).

The transition from home to full-time professional brewer involved a rather steep learning curve, but with fundamentals acquired over a period of 30 years, and an almost instinctive "feel" for the art of brewing, David has made Spire Brewery an undeniable success.

David is also very grateful to local CAMRA members in Chesterfield whose assistance and encouragement right from the start helped him put Spire Brewery firmly on the local beer map!