You could never accuse Rupert Thompson of being half-hearted about real ale. Of course, his great skill has been marketing the stuff, most famously with the great Hobgoblin ad tagline: “What’s the matter, lagerboy? Afraid you might taste something?” His passion for real ale never stopped him being a realistic businessman, though, and when the Marston’s takeover of the Refresh brands he built up came along, he saw what was best for the future of his ‘children’. Now, with Refresh fully integrated into the Marston’s operation, Rupert is looking ahead to new projects, in drinks or retail marketing. I wish him all the best for future and hope our paths cross again in the future. I last met him earlier this year at the launch of the (controversially) lower-ABVed Hobgoblin and he was, as ever, excellent company, opinionated and incisive about the beer industry. I wonder what the next project will be?