Sophie de Ronde

Sophie de Ronde

BSc Equine Science 2005 

1. Tell us about yourself. 
I am Sophie de Ronde and I studied Equine Science at Writtle College. I now live in Suffolk with my partner, two horses, three cats and a dog so life can be pretty hectic at times. I currently work as a Head Brewer for a small craft brewery in Suffolk, Burnt Mill Brewery, and have been with the company since the start of production seven years ago.

I fell into brewing whilst I was looking for jobs in the horse industry. I was working in a pub known for its real ale and soon fell in love with beers. I ended up running the cellar there and wanted to know more about the product and so asked a local craft brewery if they had any work going. In 2007, I started brewing for Brentwood Brewery and learned to brew on the job. It soon became apparent that the science that I learned at Writtle was coming in very handy as I learned about the starch breakdown of malted barley and the metabolism of yeast. The Krebs Cycle knowledge was buried somewhere in my brain!

As a brewer, I have had some great achievements, for example, being voted Brewer of the Year by the British Guild of Beer Writers. I also created what is now an internationally recognised collaboration brewing day for Women on 8 March every year, which is very humbling.

Despite my successful brewing career, I have never lost my passion for horses and am currently studying towards gaining a Lantra award in Equine Touch bodywork; an area that has always been of interest.

2. What is your fondest memory of Writtle College?
I made lifelong friends at Writtle and I will never forget the fun we had both in and outside of the classroom. I also joined the rugby team there, having never played the sport before, and this continued to be a great passion (until my body broke!), which led me to play for the East Region, in the likes of Dubai and Stockholm.

3. What has been your favourite job?
Brewing. I’ve not done much else. I worked in sales for a bit, but it didn't last long as it was very much not for me, and then I quickly fell into the brewing world. I have been stuck there ever since, in a good way, of course.

4. In one word, how would you describe Writtle?
Writtle College was like ‘family’.

5. How did your time at Writtle help you?
Writtle gave me the skills I needed for learning and becoming independent. It provided me with a background knowledge in science that I still use today in my work, which I really enjoyed learning at the time as well.

6. What did you love about your chosen course?
I loved learning about the science of the body and also the variety of modules we had was great. Back then, we only touched on complementary therapies, but it was a great introduction to it and definitely a path that I have always had an interest in.

7. What advice would you give to current students as they’re preparing to graduate?
Don't panic about finding a job. Instead concentrate on following your passions as you never know where they might lead you.

8. What do you know now that you wish you had known whilst studying?
I don’t think there is anything. I believe that everything has come along in life at the right time.

9. Who was the biggest influence on your career?
Various brewing friends who I connected with during collaborations and worked closely with.

10. What advice would you give your younger self?
Continue to be yourself. Don’t ever try to be someone else for anybody.

11. Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
For several years I was extremely intolerant to wheat and barley meaning that I couldn’t drink beer, which was when I was also voted as Brewer of the Year. My health took a massive dive and I was getting worse and worse until I worked with a functional practitioner and energy healer. These days I am happily enjoying beer again and much more.

12. What’s next?
Along with studying for Equine Touch, I am also studying the human side, VHT (Vibromuscular Harmonisation Technique). I would like to do this professionally, but this doesn't necessarily mean that I will completely give up brewing.