A brewery tour might not be the obvious place to pick up a few lessons about building a business, but our summer social gave us exactly that.
This year, the Insight Energy team headed to Bury St Edmunds for an afternoon at Greene King, exploring the brewery, learning more about its history and, naturally, sampling some of the results.
While the industries could hardly be more different, there were parts of the story that felt surprisingly familiar.
Building something that lasts
Greene King’s history stretches back more than 200 years, with its roots firmly established in Bury St Edmunds. Hearing how the brewery has grown from its beginnings as a family business into the organisation it is today was fascinating.
Different industry. Slightly different scale. But the principles behind that growth resonated with us.
Building something properly takes time. It requires a clear sense of what matters, pride in the quality of what you deliver and an ability to grow without losing sight of the values that shaped the business in the first place.
As we grow, take on larger and more complex renewable energy projects and continue to develop the services we offer, we want to retain the things that make Insight Energy what it is: technical expertise, high standards, transparency, strong relationships and a genuine pride in doing things properly.
It is what we call #theinsightway.
Pride in the process
One of the most interesting parts of the tour was seeing the process behind the finished product.
As customers, we usually experience the end result. Behind it, however, sits a much bigger system of expertise, infrastructure, quality control and people, all working together.
And there is the parallel with our own industry…
A completed solar PV installation, battery storage system or EV charging infrastructure may be the most visible part of a project, but a significant amount of work happens before anything is installed. Data analysis, feasibility, technical design, financial modelling, compliance, grid applications and careful coordination all contribute to the final outcome.
The quality of what is delivered is shaped by the quality of the process behind it. That is something we will always take seriously.
And, naturally, we could not walk around a site of that scale without discussing its energy infrastructure. Should Greene King ever fancy exploring solar, we might know a team…
Making time for the people behind the business
Business lessons aside, the real purpose of our summer social was much simpler: to spend time together.
Our team works across different roles, projects and locations, and the day-to-day demands of a growing business can move quickly. Making deliberate time to step away from projects, sites, meetings and screens gives us the opportunity to connect differently.
For us, building a strong business also means building a workplace where people enjoy being part of the team.
That commitment extends far beyond a summer social. It is reflected in how we support our people, invest in their development and create a culture where wellbeing and life outside work are treated as important. It is also a fundamental part of our commitment as a Certified B Corporation.
But sometimes, it simply looks like getting everyone together for an afternoon, having a laugh and enjoying some very good food and drink. A great wine bar, followed by steak, chips and a few cocktails at Meat and Greet, proved to be an excellent accompaniment to the brewery tour.
A brilliant afternoon with a brilliant team, and a reminder that wherever a business is in its journey, some principles remain remarkably consistent: take pride in what you do, invest in your people and never lose sight of what made the business special in the first place.
Thank you to Greene King for having us.