When 16-year-old Patrick McGinty walked into Marston's Brewery in Burton as an apprentice, little did he dream that just 22 years later he would be head brewer.
Burton born and bred, Patrick, 38, has just celebrated two years in charge of the brewing at the headquarters of one of the biggest beer-makers in the country.
"I have found it really exciting; it's a new challenge for me," he explained.
"I started off life here s an apprentice and moved on into various different roles in the brewery before finding my feet in brewing."
Growing up in Belvedere Road, in Horninglow, Patrick was never sure what route he wanted to follow in his career - let alone end up being in charge of a brewery producing more than 87 million pints each year.
He explained: "I lived in Burton, we've got these large breweries around, it seemed like the natural sort of step for me.
"My mother worked in a brewery too, in research and development at Tetley. There just seemed to be so much that went into beer and so much to analyse.
"At that stage I wasn't too sure what I wanted to do or where my career was going to take me. I did initially start my A-levels because I wanted to study music; I do play the violin and the keyboard."
Bit it was after hearing many tales of life working in a brewery that the former Robert Sutton High School studentwas enticed to become an apprentice at the Shobnall Road brewery.
The father-of-one said that the creativity and different flavours that can be combined in a beer was what attracted him to the career in the end.
And from the moment he stepped through the doors at the brewery, he was given a clear five-year plan on how he could develop himself into a role.
He says the head brewer at the time, Paul Bayley, had a huge influence on him. Mr Bayley was like a headmaster figure to the apprentices, according to Mr McGinty.
We're only here for the beer!
When he walked into a room, there was silence, people would listen and then take notes, Patrick recalls.
He remembered: "Seeing his leadership style and presence made me feel that I wanted to be like him. As an apprentice, it was a big dream; it was something at that time that I never thought I would fulfil.
"I don't think I will ever be able to fill Paul's shoes, but I like to feel that at some stage when I 'mature' in my role, I will hopefully receive that accolade of respect."
And achieve that goal of becoming head brewer, he did. However he insisted that the head brewer's job nowadays is far different to the role Mr Bayley would have had.
Back then, head brewers were seen as 'kings', according to Patrick, while now there is an increased pressure to deliver quality and you must be relatable to the drinkers.
When he was given the job, Patrick took over from Emma Gilliland, who has now become the director for brewing at Marston's and oversees the six breweries in the group.
She also played a huge part in his development as a brewer. He said: "Emma has been a big part of my career journey. She has always sort of nurtured my career and has ensured that I've been on the right path.
"Without her support, I wouldn't be here today. I've certainly matured.
"It's a completely different set-up today. I need to make sure I work well with people and the leadership is maintained."
"Everyone knows Burton is the capital of brewing", despite his relatively youthful age in the role at 38, Patrick passion for protecting and developing the traditional brewing methods of the Shobnall Road brewery are as clear as the many beers produced.
Many of the beverages are still produced from the Victorian brewhouse, housed at the Shobnall Road brewery.
He said: "Our showpiece is the Burton Union System. Not only are we brewing with Burton water, which is special to us, but also we have the system which is what we refer to as the original craft.
"We have the original craft, which is fermenting in oak barrels. Pedigree is the only brew we do in that system. It's good for the beer, and it's good for the yeast. The yeast here is really good and high in quality and we use that in all of our brews.
"It's something we maintain here and we employ a full-time cooper, who is on-site, who maintains and looks after all the barrels. We keep him very busy. It is something very special at Marston's that we keep that tradition going.
"We feel that there is a story to tell behind every beer that we brew, which is where our phrase, 'from Burton with love...' comes from. We feel that we put passion into this."
Marston's brewers themselves make an effort to visit the fields where ingredients for the beer are grown , in order to speak with the growers and understand the quality of what they produce.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Patrick has insisted that he is keen to fly the flag for apprentices at Marston's Brewery so that youngsters have the chance to follow the hugely successful path he took.
Apprentices are given the chance to talk about recipes and ingredients, rather than simply working through a textbook. Patrick attempts to encourage creativity and provide a platform to experiment and learn, he said.
"I love to fly the flag and say we must recruit apprentices but obviously we've got a nice pool of people coming in across the business; we're always looking for talent at all levels."
The Burton Union System
Head brewer Patrick McGinty says the Marton's brewery is the only one in the world that uses the union brewing system, a system developed in Victorian times and put in place during the mid-1800s, which he is extremely proud of and he likes to ensure customers know about it.
The union system involves 24 oak barrels which are interconnected by sidearms, being fed from a top troth. Beer is brewed on day one in the fermentation vessel and is left to ferment for 48 hours. It is then put into the wooden barrels.
Throughout fermentation, CO2 is created, which runs back into the top troth. This top troth then has a layer of beer in it, which gradually feeds itself back into the wooden barrels.
This all causes recirculation, with the yeast beginning to separate out of the beer. It sees the foam collapse into a dense yeast. The beer underneath the yeast, called liquor, is then drained, leaving a thick bed of yeast in the top troth.
This yeast is 'cropped off' and reused for the next batch of ale. This method results in a very clear beer being produced, compared to alternative methods.
He says one of Marston's most popular ales, Pedigree, which is an amber ale, and has a unique flavour and characteristic that comes thanks to the union system.
The composition of the water drawn from the wells under Burton is also key for brewing, with high levels of calcium sulfate, which is ideal for fermentation and improves the flavour.
Want to give brewing a go yourself?
Marston's is offering ale lovers a treat to die for.
The Shobnall Road brewery is offering one beer fan the chance to brew their own ale at its famous premises.
Wannabe head brewers are being urged to enter a competition to win the chance to create their own beer in the brewery where Pedigree is brewed.
The winner will get to invent and brew their own concoction, creating up to 600 pints, at the Shobnall Road brewery.
Created with the help and guidance of Patrick McGinty, when the drink is ready the winner can enjoy at a party for ten people at the Marston's visitor centre at the brewery.
The competition is part of the Marston's promotion entitled 'From Burton with Love', which aims to put the town firmly at the centre of the campaign and celebrate Burton's rich brewing heritage.
To be considered for the prize, beer lovers should sign up online and explain why they would like to brew a beer. The competition runs until Friday, August 31.
Pubs and bars who stock any of the five Marston's brewery beers will receive promotional kits and branded pint glasses backing the campaign, with informative cuttings being placed on bottles of Marston's beers.
Anybody interested in signing up can do so online here.
All about Marston's
Wherever you go across the country, chances are you will find a Marston's pub or at least a Marston's ale, with the famous amber ale Pedigree being among the best known.
In 1834, J. Marston and Son was established by John Marston at a Horninglow Brewery in Burton.
Just 27 years later, the brewery was capable of producing around 3,000 each year.
The brewery moved to the current Shobnall Road location in 1898, after the company combined with John Thompson and Son limited. This was when the famous Burton Union System came into use.
Ten different beers are brewed in the Burton brewery. They are Old Empire IPA, EPA, Saddle Tank, Pearl Jet stout, Idle Dole amber ale, Power of three pale ale, Bloody Doors Off blood orange pale ale, Christmas Everyday session IPA, Pedigree amber ale and the now internationally acclaimed 61 Deep pale ale.
Marston's has become a firm staple of the British food, drink and accommodation business, with around 1,700 pubs and restaurants across England and Wales, a number of breweries and more than 40 inns.
According to Marston's annual report for 2017, it employs more than 14,500 people across the country.
Here are some of the most popular ones:
Pedigree
Pedigree, which is 4.5 per cent ABV, has been credited as having a biscuity, malty, spicy hop taste, which is perfect to be drunk while eating darker meats, pork pies, sausage and mash, steak pie and Sunday roasts.
EPA
Meaning English pale ale, EPA is a crisp, refreshing and hoppy beverage which is around 3.6 per cent ABV. Marston's recommends EPA be consumed when eating dishes like roasted lemon chicken, risotto or smoked salmon.
Saddle Tank
This curiously named beer is one of Marston's oldest and comes with a malty, biscuit taste. It was named after the train that used to bring the hops and malts into the brewery. It has an ABV percentage of 3.8, and matches well with hard cheese, fish and chips and gammon.
Pearl Jet
A firm nod to classic English stouts, with a taste of chocolate, coffee and sweet treacle flavours. With an alcohol percentage of 4.1 per cent, it is recommended to be drunk while eating shellfish, game meat or rich fruitcake.
Old Empire
Old Empire is a perfect easy-drinking IPA, and an authentic recreation of the beer that was drunk throughout the empire. It combines goldings, fuggles and American cascade hops to deliver a crisp, citrus aroma with a balanced bittersweet finish. It has an alcohol percentage of 5.7 per cent and matches food like tandoori curries, garlic chicken and mature cheddar-based dishes.
