Thompson Island Brewing Company Expands Brewing Staff

REHOBOTH BEACH, DEL. (Aug. 18, 2021) — Jimmy Valm, the brewmaster at Thompson Island Brewing Company in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, announced that Charlotte Jump and Nikolas Theopold have joined his team for a total of five brewers.

The crew has been busy this summer handling production for the award-winning brewpub, but they are also preparing for the opening of Ocean View Brewing Company, now under construction in Ocean View, Delaware.

Valm will oversee production at both brewpubs, which are part of Rehoboth Beach-based SoDel Concepts. The company currently has 18 business operations, including Matt’s Fish Camp, which will open in Fenwick Island this fall.

“We’ve been working hard to keep up with the demand for our beer,” Valm says. “It’s wonderful to see how much our guests enjoy our products at all of our restaurants. Charlotte and Nik will be a great asset as we continue to take our beers to the next level.”

Jump, who has been at Thompson Island since it opened in 2019, started as a server, but the biochemistry major, who graduate from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, was drawn to the brewing process.

Theopold recently graduated from UCLA with a master’s degree in organic chemistry. He became interested in brewing when he met a brewmaster in California. “He was so happy at work,” Theopold recalled. “I wanted to try it.”

He picked the right training ground. Thompson Island Brewing Company has won numerous awards, including a gold medal for Thompson Island IPA at the U.S. Open Brewing Beer Championship. Glazed & Confused earned a bronze in the chocolate-cocoa beer category.

All the current SoDel Concepts restaurants are open for dining and carryout. Visit sodelconcepts.com for a listing of the establishments, special events and menus.

About SoDel Concepts

Based in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, SoDel Concepts is a multifaceted, award-winning hospitality group with 18 business operations: 14 coastal restaurants, three sports concessions and a wedding-and-events venue. Restaurants include Fish On and Matt’s Fish Camp in Lewes; The Clubhouse at Baywood in Millsboro; Crust & Craft, Bluecoast Seafood Grill + Raw Bar, Thompson Island Brewing Company and Lupo Italian Kitchen in Rehoboth; Matt’s Fish Camp and Bluecoast Seafood Grill + Raw Bar in Bethany Beach; NorthEast Seafood Kitchen and Ocean View Brewing Company in Ocean View; and Catch 54, Papa Grande’s Coastal Taqueria, and Matt’s Fish Camp in Fenwick Island.

SoDel Concepts’ divisions include Haley/Kammerer, a hospitality consulting firm, SoDel Concessions, a hospitality management company, and Matt’s Homemade Soda Co., a line of artisanal sodas.