True BREW

BEN SUMMONS FOUND HIS SPIRITUAL HOME AS CEO OF FERMENTUM GROUP, WITH ITS FLAGSHIP BRAND STONE & WOOD PROVING THAT BEER CAN ACTUALLY BE A FORCE FOR GOOD.

- LISA SCHOFIELD

According to actor Jack Nicholson, “beer is the best damn drink in the world”, and there will be many beer drinkers around the globe who’d agree. Ben Summons, CEO of Fermentum, is one of them. ‘Born and raised in Byron Bay’, Fermentum is the holding company for a family of operating entities including the award-winning, independent brewer Stone & Wood Brewing Co, IPA specialist brand Fixation, Granite Belt Cider Co, farmhouse ale brand Forest For The Trees and sales and distribution company Square Keg. The company’s not-for-profit venture, inGrained Foundation sits under the Fermentum umbrella, supporting local grassroots and social charities.

Approachable and down-to-earth, Ben is known as one of the good guys. And although he’s worked internationally with Kraft Foods, Mondelez and Foster’s Group, his heart found its spiritual home in this conscious business that puts its people, products and values above all else.

The traditional village brewery was the inspiration for Stone & Wood – simple beer done really well was the goal. “We’ve watched the breweries, previously the hubs of a village, fade over time,” says Ben. “We wanted to bring this back.” Proudly local and fiercely independent, the company brews handcrafted and approachable beer. Pacific Ale, the brewery’s flagship beer, is consistently one of Australia’s best performing and most popular craft beers.

“We have an unofficial mantra of keeping it simple and taking it slow,” he adds. “We’re not in a rush to get anywhere; we’re playing a long game.”