About the Blogger

Okay third post; so it’s probably about time I told everyone a bit about me. Thank you to everyone who has read my blog so far or even followed me.

Who are you?

I’m Steve Lamond aka Stephanos, 24 year old born and bred in Yeovil, Somerset.

Where are you now?

I currently live in the arse-end of nowhere in Cookstown, Northern Ireland after graduating in chemistry at the University of Southampton in 2009.

Why blog about beer?

Why not?! I’ve long had an interest in all things beer from the technical side, to the enjoyment of it and probably spend far too long trying to convince others that beer drinking is a worthwhile pass-time! People often tell me I should write a zine* about beer. I haven’t got round to it so far but decided to blog in its absence. Until recently I’d kind of skipped over the fact that there were a whole load of blogs about beer and it was a link on the CAMRA website to a vlog by Pete Brown and Peter Amor at National Winter Ales Fest that led me to his blog, ordered his books and got me hooked on a whole host of blogs (see right). The lack of decent beer pubs where I live has meant I've increased my mail-order drinking and drinking alone isn't much fun; so I'll use the internets as my virtual pub.

What are your “credentials”?

I’ve been drinking beer (largely real ale thus far) for 8 years now** and have been a CAMRA member since 18, helping out at the Southampton Beer Festival, GBBF and Belfast Beer Festival. I re-founded the Real Ale Society at university because nobody else seemed bothered and have organised a number of “piss ups in a brewery”. But like most humans I’m opinionated and want to share them with other people in the naive belief that they may be influenced to agree with me.

Favourite Beer?

Not something I can answer definitively, there are obviously some beers I prefer over others but I like to try anything new. I’m just as likely to go for a mild as for an imperial IPA.

Anything else we should know?

I love cheese. Beer and cheese matching evenings were commonplace in the Steve house during university. I also love spicy foods and have just started growing chilis this year.

Hopefully people won’t begrudge me a self-indulgent post. I may take these questions and feature other bloggers from time to time as I’m nosy and want to know what makes other people tick too!

*independently published magazine, like a CAMRA newsletter but less narrowly focussed.

**yes, if you can add up that does mean I was drinking under-age...naughty Steve