about
We don’t mess around when it comes to a proper pint of British ale.
Yorkshire Square Brewery has always been a dream for Gary and his family. After he moved to the United States from England in 1986, he initially wanted to build a craft brewery in Portland, but other things in life (like kids) were the priority. Thus, the dream was put on hold until May 2017 when Yorkshire Square Brewery finally became a reality in Torrance, CA.
Born and raised in Yorkshire, England, Gary is the true inspiration behind YSB and the glue that holds it together. He is responsible for the day-to-day management of the business including growth strategy, financial management, distribution planning and beyond. He has over 30 years experience in all areas of business management and development and is a successful sales and marketing professional. Additionally, he has worked in several startup environments along with other small- to medium sized businesses.
Michael Samford joined Yorkshire Square Brewery in March of 2020. After making his first batch of homebrew, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in the industry. The native Texan started out on the packaging line at Community Beer Company in Dallas where he quickly moved to the brewhouse, and eventually to lead brewer. Leaving Community to become head brewer at Old Town Brewhouse in nearby Lewisville, he has spent the last 3 years crafting his own recipes, and winning some awards along the way. He is excited to be in Southern California and is looking forward to continuing the English cask tradition at YSB, as well moving into new exciting directions.
Michael is in charge of all production and product QA/QC at Yorkshire Square Brewery.