Beer is a Conversation: Ben Summons and Nick Boots
b'This week we speak with with Ben Summons and Nick Boots.\\n Over the last few months Stone & Wood founder Jamie Cook has retired from the business and Ben Summons has stepped up from managing director of Stone & Wood into the role of CEO of the Fermentum group of companies, the overarching business. Nick Boots has in turn been promoted from Stone & Wood\\u2019s head of sales to General Manager.\\n The changing of the guard comes at a significant time for the business, as the industry faces crowding at the smaller end of the industry, and takovers at the larger end. Overseas, the largest craft breweries have run into headwinds, the craft beer segment is fragmented with a rapid proliferation of styles and competition from other categories and new and emerging categories such as hard seltzer.\\n As you\\u2019ll here both Ben and Nick have extensive careers in and out of the beer industry, including time at CUB overlapping with founders Brad Rogers, Jamie Cook and Ross Jurisich.\\n All in all there was a lot to talk about including the origins of craft beer and whether Stone & Wood represented a lost opportunity for CUB, the opportunities and challenges facing Stone & Wood, and the challenges they face as the next generation of managers, the changing beer market and staying disciplined in in a time of change.\\n Enjoy the conversation.\\n Radio Brews News is proudly presented by\\xa0Cryer Malt. With over 25 years in the field, Cryer Malt are dedicated to providing the finest brewing ingredients to help brewers create the foundations of a truly excellent beer. Your premium brewing partner and proud sponsors of Brews News. and this is Brews News Week.\\n If you like what we do at Radio Brews News you can help us out by:\\n Sponsoring the show\\n \\nReviewing us on iTunes\\xa0or your favourite podcasting service\\n Emailing us at\\xa0producer@brewsnews.com.au\\xa0to share your thoughts\\n All letter writers will receive a brews news bottle opener and go into the draw to win a mixed six-pack thanks to our good friends at\\xa0Beer Cartel\\xa0who sponsor our letter for the week.'