Two new sales managers as Theakston pushes North Yorkshire heartland

Masham-based Theakston has added two to its head count as Cameron Bell and Zak Spence have joined the business as sales development managers, focused on key northern cities and the brewery’s North Yorkshire heartland respectively.

Black Sheep was set up by Paul Theakston in 1992 after the sale of the family business, T & R Theakston Brewery, to Scottish & Newcastle.

When the Theakston Brewery was bought back by the family in 2003, the brewing dynasty was back within a few hundred metres of one each other. But Black Sheep has now hit hard times, going into adminstration earlier this month in the search for new investment.

At Theakston, Cameron brings plenty of experience in the hospitality and drinks industries to his new role, having spent time as the general manager of a cocktail bar in central Manchester, as well as having worked in a variety of sales and ambassador roles for both an independent gin brand and a rum company.

This experience on both sides of the bar will see Cameron work with key city centre venues to raise awareness of the brewery’s range of cask and keg beers, especially amongst a younger demographic.

Zak joins the business following almost a decade with the police, working for both Northumbria Police and the North Yorkshire Police force. He takes over as the Theakston representative for the North Yorkshire, Yorkshire Dales, Harrogate and Ripon area from Barry Gibb, who recently retired. He will be responsible for continuing to work with existing and new customers in the area where the brewery already enjoys a strong presence.

The appointments mark the second expansion of the T&R Theakston’s sales team this year, with the brewery announcing in January that it had recruited a new national account executive and sales development manager.

Joint managing director, Simon Theakston said: “We started 2023 with the announcement of growth within our team and, following a busy first quarter, we’re pleased to be further expanding as we look to deliver on our growth ambitions for this year and beyond.

“It’s wonderful to welcome both Cameron and Zak to our T&R Theakston family at such an exciting time for the business, as we prepare to launch more seasonal beers, announce new partnerships and continue to look toward to our bicentennial celebrations in 2027.”

Zak added: “As a proud North Yorkshireman, I’m delighted to be working for such a well-known business which combines a strong heritage with exciting future focused plans. Taking over from Barry means I have some big shoes to fill but I am definitely looking forward to working with our customers to continue to deepen the strong relationships that he fostered.”

Cameron said: “I’m looking forward to be working for Theakston and helping to drive forward its growth plans. There are plenty of exciting developments in the pipeline this year, which provide the perfect opportunity to increase awareness and availability of the brewery’s beer range across Northern cities and introduce our products to new consumers.”