Timothy Taylor chooses ‘taste of the extraordinary’ for new CEO

The Landlord brewer confirmed to The Yorkshire Post that Tim Dewey will succeed Charles Dent on October 1.

Mr Dent will step up to become non-executive chairman of the Keighley business, replacing Nigel Bankes.

Mr Dent told this newspaper that Mr Dewey “came out top of the pack” following a headhunting process. “We hope he is the perfect fit,” he added.

Mr Dewey, who also holds British citizenship, has been global marketing director and UK commercial director at Drambuie for the last four years.

He was responsible for the development and implementation of Drambuie’s global marketing campaign – “a taste of the extraordinary” – as well as driving the commercial performance of the UK business.

He has held a number of senior roles within the food and drinks industry including global brand director for Pilsner Urquell at SABMiller, the London-listed South African brewing giant.

Mr Dewey was also international marketing director at William Grant & Sons, the family-owned business famous for Glenfiddich whisky.

He spent his early career in marketing and business at Unilever and International Distillers and Vintners, now Diageo.

The CEO role at Timothy Taylor is one of the plum jobs in the British brewing industry.

The 155-year-old Keighley business is the last surviving Victorian brewery of the West Riding mill towns.

Its beers are world renowned; Boltmaker was named Best Beer in Britain at the Great British Beer Festival last month.

The company will report sales of around £21m this year, he added.

Mr Dent said: “We regard ourselves as being extremely lucky to have found someone with such vast experience and the relevant complementary skills.

“He joins us when we have just completed a £12m investment in the development of the brewery and when our bitter, Boltmaker, has recently been crowned CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain. I’m very much looking forward to working with Tim to drive the future growth of Timothy Taylor’s, although I’m not sure I’ll be taking him on at tennis.”

Mr Dewey’s main interest outside of work is tennis and was ranked as a junior in the US. He still enjoys playing competitively.

He said in a statement: “I am delighted to be joining Timothy Taylor’s at such an exciting time for the business and look forward to building on all the excellent work and achievements of Charles Dent and his team.”

The eponymous Timothy Taylor founded the brewery in Keighley in 1858. His grandson John Taylor, later Tory peer Lord Ingrow, was the last direct descendant to run the company.

He was replaced in 1995 by Mr Dent, a land surveyor with Savills who married John Taylor’s daughter Annie. She is now High Sheriff of West Yorkshire.

Timothy Taylor has around 30 shareholders. Mr Dent said the next generation of family members are getting good experience in business.

No more gallon-a-day drinkers

Charles Dent, the outgoing managing director of Timothy Taylor, said the brewing industry has become much more competitive over the last two decades.

“There’s 1,000 new competitors since they altered the tax,” he said, referring to the breaks for smaller brewers. “Not that that’s a particularly bad thing. There’s more interest in our sort of beer, in cask ale.

“But there’s a declining number of pubs and fashions are changing.”

Gone are the days of running a little pub in Keighley with only light and dark mild on the bar for customers who could drink a gallon a day, added Mr Dent, who is 65.