29 January 2007
Eastern Daily Press feature "Having a fresh take on life"
This article was part of a feature in the Eastern Daily Press (29 Jan 07) on 'Downshifting'
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As a marketing manager for a major brewer, Geoff Wright never got the satisfaction of making and selling beer that he had actually brewed himself. But since being made redundant and downshifting in his native Suffolk, he says he gets a "warm glow" from people buying beer created by his own Grain Brewery in Alburgh, near Harleston. "You just can't compare the quality of life then to what it is now," said Geoff, 34, who is in partnership with Phil Halls. "I used to work as a marketing manager, so it was a completely different part of the business - whereas now I do everything from brewing to deliveries and book-keeping. I do work a lot harder but I enjoy it much more. Being made redundant gave me that push. I loved the idea of developing my own product and something I really believed in, something I could put my name on, instead of being part of a much bigger whole. It is much more satisfying." |
Geoff, who was born in Bury St Edmunds and grew up in north Norfolk, said he can now adapt his work hours to suit him and his wife. Nevertheless, his life is by no means stress-free and paying the mortgage can be a worry without a guaranteed salary each month.
"I got tied up in climbing the corporate ladder with various breweries before I realised what a load of rubbish it was and I was wasting my time," he added. "I was like anybody who works in an office; I had that feeling when you wakeup and you've got no drive to get to work. Now I jump out of bed and run to work because I'm doing something I believe in."
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