W W INTERVIEW
L L
AN INTERVIEW WITH STEPHEN CRAWLEY
Wirral’s Stephen Crawley, entrepreneur and the man behind
the resurrection of the legendary Higsons beer brand
talks to Wirral Life in an exclusive interview.
Glasses have been raised to celebrate the return of
Higson’s beers to Liverpool! Brewing is now underway
at Higson’s new home - the unique H1780 Tap & Still
on Bridgewater Street, Liverpool 1. The beers mark the
21st century revival of a brand that was synonymous
with Liverpool and the City Region for more than 200
years. The H1780 business is the brainchild of Wirral
entrepreneur, Stephen Crawley. Wirral Life caught up
with him to find out more about it.
You have been in the press recently regarding the exciting and
impressive re-launch of Higson’s Brewery under the name of
H1780. How did that happen?
Well I had more than 20 years working in Scotland’s brewing
industry and I wanted to channel my experience and passion for
better beer into creating a high quality branded drinks business.
The H is for Higson’s and 1780 was the year in which Higson’s
first flowed in the city. The company was part and parcel of life in
Liverpool and well beyond until 1990 when the last pint of Higson’s
was brewed.
To bring that back, I had a vision of a beer, gin and food experience
all under one roof in the Baltic Triangle, and I’m delighted how that
has come about. From a run-down warehouse for a rubber business,
the transformed building is home to the brewery, a distillery, 3 bars,
a kitchen, events space, as well as tours and tastings starting in early
2018. We’re extremely pleased with what we’ve achieved.
Let’s go back to the beginning and your Wirral roots. You
attended Birkenhead School, is that where your love of cricket
began?
I was encouraged massively by our master in charge of cricket,
Micky Bowyer and as we reached the National U15 semi-finals two
years running, I grew in confidence. The turning point was an eye
test – with glasses I could now actually see the seam on the ball!
My Birkenhead School final year report read ‘if he spent as much
time on his studies as his cricket…” so I guess that says something
about me! I then started with Wirral Schools U13 representing
Wirral and that culminated with England schools.
A schoolboy highlight was playing for MCC Schools at Lords on
Royal Wedding day in 1981. Then I was a contracted professional at
Lancashire County Cricket Club between 1982 and 1984. I played
at Cheshire County Cricket Club and amazingly for Scotland in the
1998 Commonwealth games in Kuala Lumpar where I faced the
world’s fastest bowler Shoaib Akhtar. When I left school, I wanted
to be a professional cricketer.
Are you still involved in sport?
Whilst I was living in Edinburgh, I ran the Grange CC junior
section and MCC in Scotland.
Time commitments mean I am not involved here other than as a
‘taxi driver’ for my son Jamie, 17, who is a very keen cricketer. It’s
great fun he loves it and we do lots of miles all over the country.
A bonus is that I bump into people I used to play against! I am a
member of Royal Liverpool Golf Club and as an MCC member I
love going to Lords. Jamie played there last year - that was a great
family day out - 35 years after I had first played there!
How did you get from being a geography and PE graduate
from the University of Birmingham to a Director designate at a
Scottish brewery in Edinburgh?
I played a season of cricket in Australia, and then worked for
Dunlop Sports Surfaces but was made redundant with no pay-out
and a mortgage to pay! I became good at dealing with adversity!
I got a job with Labatts UK after pestering a friend I played cricket
with and from there in 1993, an Edinburgh based, Birmingham
University pal sent me an ad from Scotland on Sunday for another
job there and I applied.
I turned up for that interview – unable to speak as I had a really
sore throat and dosed myself up with lozenges only to find out I
was in the wrong office! They had sent me a letter confirming the
change, but it was bank holiday in England and it hadn’t arrived –
no mobile phones in those days! I was an hour late as a result and
could barely speak but remarkably I got the job!
You lived in Scotland for 20 years in the beer industry and set
down roots there, tell us about that.
For my 6th birthday I went to Edinburgh to the Tattoo with my
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