Staff Selects #3 with Rob Anstey
For our third edition of Staff Selects we caught up with Forest Hill’s new fearless leader about life South of the river, controversial opinions in craft beer, and a range of top tips for beer, wine & more!
When did you join Clapton Craft - do you have any memorable first impressions?
About a year ago now, I’d come from much bigger, more mainstream booze outlets so it was really nice to walk into the shop and actually not recognise most of the beer immediately!
What’s on the booze agenda, what have you got in the fridge at the moment?
A Kernel Biere De Saison Cider Apple, I’ve been keeping that bad boy for a while. All the German lagers, I might have to grab another Big Milk soon also, I’m pretty obsessed. I do agonise over what to take home. Every few weeks or so I take back a case, but along the way it's a series of heavy edits, it’s a painful, emotional process, but something to cleanse the soul...
Who’s your pick for the most underrated brewery in the scene right now?
I want to say Duration, though they do get heaps of respect, they definitely deserve more. I’ve smashed through a few Little Fanfares recently, and am eying up the West Coast (Dripping Pitch) for a road beer.
On that note is there a style of beer that you think doesn’t get the love it deserves?
Though I do mix it up, and that’s kind of the nature of the job, I go back to Saisons and Wild ferm stuff pretty frequently. Pastore are great, the Wiper & True new mixed ferm stuff is also well worth looking out for.
What would be your three desert island beers?
I mean that Cider Apple Biere De Saison obviously, if you can catch yourself a Pig to go with you’re set on this hypothetical tropical island, the Boxcar Best Bitter for sure, and a good lager. Let’s go for the Braybrooke Keller Lager, an absolute staple.
For something a bit more risky, if you were given £50 in the shop what would you spend it on?
I keep looking at the Pino Citron, and maybe the skin contact cider, Pilton’s In Touch (Ed - you’ve basically asked for two bottles of Acid), I’m doubling down, add a bottle of Astro Bunny.
Have you got a controversial opinion on the state of craft beer at the moment?
Craft beer in supermarkets I’m really not a fan of. I think it undermines the whole independent vibe of it, which I’m sure 50% of people will hate, but you did say controversial! I feel like there should be a hard line drawn. Breweries like Beavertown have passed that mark, it’s supermarket craft, but you can definitely see big shops more and more crowbarring themselves into the craft conversation along thanks to some pretty major breweries being on their shelves.
What are the biggest misconceptions about Craft Beer?
Bottles versus cans comes to mind, the age old debate. Obviously, cans are better but you still have that group of people who are convinced it won’t taste as good. As soon as someone even mentions it I’ve stuck the kettle on and got my whiteboard out for the seminar.
I guess that leads into pet peeves in Craft Beer, are there any that stand out?
The biggest one currently is breweries failing to diversify what they do. I mean tasty juice boy after tasty juice boy is all well and good, but there’s far too often nothing else. You even see it at brewery tap rooms, you’re faced with one lager and seven different New Englands.
If you were to lay down the law and could enforce one rule in Clapton Craft what would it be?
I mean I’d say everyone has to come bearing one gift (Ed- like a child’s birthday party?) Exactly. Chocolate, coffee whatever, it’s up to you, surprise me!
What would be your ideal day in the local area?
I mean I live a ten minute walk from Park Fever, who are super friendly guys, but I’d probably kick off the day at Brockley Brewery’s Hither Green taproom. Later I’d drop into my shop in SE23 for a few beers, and chill in the gardens of the Horniman Musuem after looking at some taxidermy animals - maybe a trip to Stormbird in Camberwell before grabbing some food on the way home from Silk Road.
Have you got a favourite story from the shops?
It’s bizarre times I guess, so chaotic things are happening all the time. As we're not touching the bags anymore someone misheard me and thought I said “wash your hands” but I said, “help yourself to a bag”, and instead she immediately went over to the handwash like I was her disdainful Mum. Oh, she broke a glass in the process, as well, I felt awful!
Finally, what’s the best part about the job?
The air-con? That’s been a lifesaver. Seriously though, the customers, they’re all so chilled out, it’s just real community vibes. Everyone’s happy to stand around for 20 minutes and chat about their personal life or whatever’s going on at the moment and it’s all natural, I’ve been given so many sourdough starters, it’s pretty dreamy.
You can catch Rob in our Forest Hill shop throughout the week, or on Instagram!
