Heineken UK (HUK) has announced that in his new position, Rice “will ignite and lead the next phase of growth for Beavertown, underpinned by the continued success of Neck Oil,” which serves as the brewery’s flagship offering.
As part of this leadership transition, Jochen Van Esch, who served as Beavertown’s managing director for three years, will be departing the role to rejoin Heineken Group.
Concurrently, Mick Howard, currently the operations director for Star Pubs, will assume the vacant position of UK on-trade sales director following Rice’s exit.
All three individuals—Rice, Howard, and Van Esch—will transition into their new roles effective June 1.
Heineken first acquired a 49% stake in Beavertown in 2018, eventually purchasing the remaining 51% in September 2022. By 2025, the brewery reported a 17% rise in off-trade sales of its prominent Neck Oil session IPA, with overall volumes surging by 32.8%.
Boudewijn Haarsma, managing director at HUK, stated, “These moves reflect our focus on putting proven, high-impact leaders where they can make the biggest difference for customers and growth.”
He added, “Will has an outstanding track record in the on-trade, and he is the right leader to guide Beavertown through its next phase of growth, while it continues to operate as a separate company with its own distinctive identity.”
Haarsma also expressed his appreciation for Howard’s contributions: “Mick has been instrumental in shaping Star Pubs and is a proven operator and people leader. I’m delighted to welcome him into the on-trade sales director role as we continue to execute our winning strategy. His deep understanding of running pubs will help him to lead our team in being a value-adding business partner for our customers.”
He concluded by acknowledging Van Esch’s impact: “I also want to thank Jochen for the legacy he leaves at Beavertown, from building brand leadership in UK craft to progressing the Enfield brewery. We wish him every success as he moves to Heineken Group.”
Beavertown Brewery was established in 2011 by Logan Plant, the son of renowned musician Robert Plant, who held the role of chief executive officer until Heineken’s complete acquisition in 2022. After this transition, Plant moved into an “advisory role.”