Cayman Islands: Cayman Islands Brewery appoints its first General Manager

The Board of the Cayman Islands Brewery Ltd (CIB) has appointed Allen Chu Fook as its first general manager, according to Cayman Net News, March 12.

Bringing over 40 years of experience into the business, Mr Chu Fook serves the Master Brewers Association of the Americas as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Caribbean District. He is also Executive Director of the Caribbean Breweries Association.

“Mr Chu Fook is a master brewer who completed his pupilage at Allied Breweries and Guinness in the UK,” said Stephen Webster, Chairman of the Board. “Having held a number of the most distinguished posts in the Caribbean brewing industry, we are very proud that he has decided to join as our first GM. His contribution will be hugely valued.”

Meanwhile Mr Chu Fook said he looks forward to leading the CIB team in developing and building the new national beer brand of the Cayman Islands.

“We are now performing the final technical checks on the equipment, after which we will conduct production trials, then enter into the commercial production stage,” he said. “I am very confident that the new lager will appeal to the national palate and I look forward to the people of our Islands embracing the brand as their own.”

Trinidadian by birth, Mr Chu Fook joined the Caribbean Development Company (Carib Brewery), Trinidad in 1964 as a trainee brewer and then completed a Brewing and Biological Science degree at the Heriott Watt University in Edinburgh.

After completing his brewing pupilage in the Allied and Guinness Breweries in the UK he returned to the Trinidad Carib Brewery as a brewer.

By 1986, Mr Chu Fook had been promoted to the post of Technical Director where he led the brewery through an intense period of growth and introduced many new product lines. Following a move to Grenada Breweries in 1989, he was appointed Managing Director in 1994, when the brewery was acquired by Guinness.

His management took Grenada Breweries to 7th place in the list of top 100 Caribbean public companies.

By 2002 Mr. Chu Fook was appointed Regional Operations Manager for Diageo (Caribbean) Ltd, a company formed in 1997 from the merger of Guinness PLC and Grand Metropolitan PLC. This made him responsible for twelve breweries in the Caribbean and Central America, all licensed to brew Guinness brand.

Mr. Chu Fook’s most recent role as Executive Director of the Caribbean Breweries Association charged him with the responsibility for supporting, promoting and securing the future of the Caribbean brewing industry and the representation of the industry at CARICOM level.

As the GM of the CIB, Mr Chu Fook leads a dynamic and dedicated team comprising experienced brewer masters, sales representatives, marketers, technicians, operatives and administrative support staff.

The name branding of the new beer will be unveiled when the beer launches later this year.

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