Three Blind Mice – HIT Small to Medium Employer of the Year

“As a small business, we were attracted to HIT’s unique brewer apprenticeship as it is an industry standard and a nationally recognised qualification.”

Three Blind Mice Brewery was founded in 2013 and is a small business based in Little Downham, Cambridgeshire. It produces a range of modern beers using the best quality ingredients available and sets out to foster new talent within the brewing industry.

As a small, local brewery with five employees, they saw the immediate benefits of embracing an apprenticeship strategy and signed up their first apprentice on HIT Training’s unique Level 4 Brewer Apprenticeship in April 2023 as the business was expanding and they needed a brewing assistant.

Three Blind Mice is committed to providing exceptional development opportunities for all employees. By covering travel and hotel expenses related to the HIT apprentice programme, the brewery eliminates barriers to learning and ensures that apprentices can focus on their education and professional growth.

Furthermore, through active support on social media, the brewery takes pride in showcasing its achievements which in turn boosts morale and highlights the brewery’s dedication to its people. The brewery was thrilled when its apprentice Aureja Jupp entered HIT’s Untapped brewing competition and won the title ‘HIT Brewer Apprentice of the Year 2023’ beating off stiff competition from other national brewers.

Three Blind Mice is proactive in its approach to the HIT brewer programme with the head brewer joining calls and closely following the apprentice’s progress, demonstrating a commitment to mentoring new talent. The business has shown a willingness to provide time for learning and studying, as well as encouraging exploration of new ideas within the brewery, ensuring the apprenticeship programme is fit for purpose and aligned with the needs of the industry.

Director Alex Bragg said: “We have seen many positive results because of the apprenticeship training with Aureja feeling part of the team and able to ease the workload in the brewery so that we can put more effort into other areas of the business.

“Playing our part in building a future-proof skilled brewing workforce is important to us and we have found HIT to be a very easy partner to work with. As a small business, we were also attracted to HIT’s unique brewer apprenticeship as it is an industry standard and a nationally recognised qualification.”

As part of its commitment to apprenticeships, the head brewer at Three Blind Mice provides on-the-job support and often acts as mentor, allowing apprentices to learn from an experienced professional. The aim is to foster a deep understanding of brewing techniques and industry insights.

The brewery actively supports its apprentices by providing them with the time and space to learn and experiment on the job, exploring new ideas within the brewery. This contributes to a dynamic learning environment.

By covering travel and hotel expenses related to the HIT apprenticeship, this financial support ensures that apprentices can participate in educational opportunities, workshops and industry events that enhance their skills and knowledge.

Three Blind Mice actively participates in events such as beer festivals, tap takeovers and brewery collaborations. By attending these events, the brewery not only promotes its own apprenticeship opportunities but also contributes to the growth of the wider industry. It also uses social media to share its apprentices’ achievements, highlight their journey, and promote the value of apprenticeships in the hospitality sector. This not only serves as an inspiration but also spreads awareness within the wider community.

“Supporting the development of skilled professionals in the industry is something we are passionate about and if we need more brewing staff in the future, we will look at taking on more apprentices,” said Alex. “I did an engineering apprenticeship myself when I was 17 and I’ve always liked the apprenticeship model. It’s great to be able to give others like Aureja the same opportunity.

“In the meantime, we remain committed to community outreach, engagement with schools, participation in industry events and open-house events that contributes to apprenticeship growth not only within the brewery but also within the wider hospitality sector.”