Welcome Brighter Horizons!

We caught up with Dave King, one of the new co-directors of Ignition, to find out more about Brighter Horizons and what he’s most excited about as they take Ignition forward.

Who are Brighter Horizons?

Brighter Horizons is an independent charity that provides day services to neurodiverse adults and people with learning disabilities in southeast London. We were set up 8 years ago by a group of parents looking to provide meaningful support to their (then) grown up children and we’ve flourished ever since, now supporting around 65 people a week. You can find out more about us at www.brighter-horizons.org

It’s important to say though, that while Brighter Horizons now owns the brewery, Ignition still exists separately so it retains its own finances, distinct culture and brand. None of that will be changing.

What are you most excited about as you take Ignition forward?

Ignition is such a community asset and occupies a really unique place at the centre of Sydenham. It’s loved by lots of people and I’m really excited to build on that and see more people get on board with what we’re about and what we’re trying to achieve. We’re planning to bring a modest food offering next year as well as to start bottling more of our beers. Dave, our master brewer, is also working on a new winter beer which will be launching in November, so there’s lots to look forward to.

Tell us about your co-directors, Sam and Keiran?

Sam is our beer guru. He’s worked for and with bars, taprooms, and breweries all of his adult life and there’s nothing he doesn’t know about how to run a bar. He’s new to us, and so brings a freshness and new insight. Kieran is the Chair of Trustees at Brighter Horizons, and has been involved with the charity since it started. Not only does he bring a great appreciation for beer, but he also brings a wealth of experience in investment management, governance, risk management, and finance.

What do you think the biggest challenge is going to be?

Just take a look at the economy at the moment. People don’t have as much money as they had a few years ago and so are spending less, especially on non-essentials. That’s already hitting our income at the same time as costs going up. Beer Duty, which we pay on everything we brew, has just increased by over 10% and our raw ingredients now cost us around 30% more. We can’t pass that onto the customer so really the challenge is to increase sales outside of the taproom, reduce wastage and get our message out there more.

What’s your favourite Ignition beer?

With the recent bout of hot weather, Spark Plug has been going down a treat. It’s citrussy, crisp and light – everything you want for a summer thirst quencher.

Why are you passionate about providing more jobs for people with learning disabilities?

People who are neurodiverse or who have a learning disability have as much right to live a full and active life, as much as anyone else. And that includes enjoying all the benefits that employment brings, from a sense of satisfaction to a hard-earned pay cheque at the end of the month. Employment, and the meaningful use of our time, is good for us. Everyone has something to contribute and skills to hone, and I look forward to a society where employers look to develop that in their people rather than just focusing on the bottom line.

Describe the Ignition team in three words?

Brilliant. Unique. Talented.

Describe yourself as a beer?

An easy drinking session pale, bursting with fruity hop flavour and balanced with a malted bittersweet finish.

A Fond Farewell to George

As team member George moves on to pastures new, he talks about his experience of working at Ignition…

Ignition… A brilliant brewery and bar in Lewisham! The customers are friendly, with people who know how to have good conversations. What I loved about Ignition was when I was struggling to find a job for 7 months, they gave me a chance. This is what makes them so unique.

On my first day I met Tom (manager then), he showed me all the skills like pulling pints and pouring wine like a Maître’ D.

Ignition is a great place to visit and work because they take people into consideration, which comes in very handy with my ADHD. Personally, I think this bar is one of the very few places where staff and customers are similar, a family atmosphere is created.

Most importantly it improves your social skills, even if you are not a people person, you learn to become sociable within a month. It helped me after spending months unemployed!

People in the area have a strong sense of community which is why fights rarely happen in the bar!

Drink making was my favourite thing to learn because I saw how customers really liked their drinks.

Ignition Brewery’s strong point is making ale. Drinks like Whisky, spirits and cocktails are usually sold during monthly events. But… I will say meeting other people with disabilities was a very interesting experience, because I’ve realised other people are in the same boat as well.

All of these things made me feel really sad when lockdown started and businesses along with the planet shut down. I really want all the things I’ve said above to return after Covid so people can see what I mean.

George