Award winning brewers Rafik Abidi and Jon Stringer extend the Charles Faram team of Sales Managers
We are excited to announce that experienced brewers Rafik Abidi and Jon Stringer have joined the team in another move to build on our service to customers.
Paul Corbett (MD) said, “We are delighted to welcome Rafik and Jon to the Charles Faram team. They are both award winning brewers and have extensive knowledge of the brewing industry. They will enhance the excellent technical backup service to our customers and will not only be able to provide advice on the use
of the range of hops, malt, yeast and brewing aids we supply but also offer general advice on anything brewery related. Having spoken to them in depth about their new roles I know that they are very excited to get going and looking forward to visiting breweries and meeting our customers.”.
They will enhance the technical backup service
Jon Stringer
Jon started his role as Sales Manager to the South East and East of the UK on 9th September.
Located in Broadstairs, Kent Jon has spent 8 years at Gadds’ (Ramsgate Brewery) where he cut his teeth in the brewing industry and was eventually elevated to Head Brewer.
This experience and his Diploma in Brewing with passes for modules 1 & 2, makes him a fantastic, knowledgeable addition to our pool of technical knowledge and expertise.
Loves and moments
The story of how he got in to the brewing industry is a familiar one. He was loafing around in Spain, looking for a job in East Kent when Eddie Gadd came to his rescue and gave him a part-time cask washing/racking role.
He says that he loves home brewing, travelling, music, photography and of course, pubs.
We always ask Charles Faram employees what their most embarrassing moment in the industry has been so that we can all have a bit of a giggle.
Jon says that his is, “Forgetting to put a key late hop addition into a Gadds’ seasonal beer. I was mortified but Menno from De Molen tried the beer and thought it was excellent, so that soothed things”.
Rafik Abidi
Rafiki Abidi has joined us as Sales Manager for the South West and West. Rafik was born in Algeria and grew up in Paris. He then moved to London when he was 20, where he studied Chemistry at the University of North London.
Wealth of experience
His brewing career started at Fuller’s Brewery in London as a Lab Technician before moving to Edinburgh to study for a Masters in Brewing & Distilling at Heriot-Watt University. He has since worked for Wychwood Brewery, Shepherd Neame Brewery, Whitstable Brewery and most recently Marston’s Brewery in Burton on Trent.
His qualifications are French baccalauréat, BSc Chemistry, MSc Brewing & Distilling and from a
production point he has a wide experience ranging from a 2BBL pilot Brewery up to 600BBL brew length.
When asked about joining Faram’s Rafik said, “I have known Paul and Will for some time and I have always had a great relationship with them. When the opportunity came up to join their team I didn’t think twice!”.
“I have always enjoyed visiting breweries and meeting brewers and now I will be doing it more than ever before.”.
Swimming in beer
He enjoys swimming and used to swim competitively while growing up in Paris.
Rafik’s most embarrassing moment in the industry was his first day at
Fullers Brewery being trained in the Sample Room on the beer dispense equipment. He mis-connected a keg coupler and covered himself and his colleague with beer! Let’s say, the job could have started better.
