Mahane Yehuda Market שוק מחנה יהודה

I met David on Twitter @LoneTreeBeer he is fun guy from Scotland now in Israel who loves his Mrs. and has 2 grown daughters and 2 sons. He enjoys good food and often tweets pictures when he visits his local market like he did the other day. I saved them on my phone and asked him for a guest post. As us food lovers love a good tour of the fruit and vegetable market!

I came to Israel, from Scotland, in 1983 - to discover what the country was all about....

I had graduated from Glasgow and London Universities, and so I now wanted to take some time off and do something a wee bit different.

During this year in Israel, I first learnt some basic Hebrew and then managed to get a job in Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem, as a research assistant.

And I had a great time.

So when I was offered to start a PhD program in Infectious Diseases, I jumped at the opportunity - largely, as an excuse to stay here.

After about three years of research - and becoming totally frustrated with my progress - I decided to take a Sabbatical year.

I learnt Landscape Gardening....and never returned to my doctorate!

!n 1989, I formed my own design and landscaping company "White Flower Gardening"

which keeps me busy - even today.

About 3 years ago, together with another couple, we started developing the idea of setting up a craft brewery.

Like the wine market of ten years ago, the idea of craft breweries was just starting to take off in Israel.

We had all been home brewers before - and we all enjoyed great beer - so we developed a proper business plan for the Lone Tree Brewery ("The Lone Tree" is the symbol of Gush Etzion - the area of Israel, just south of Jerusalem, where we live).

Like most new businesses, the beginning is very hard;

we decided to build a 50 meter building - a nano brewery - as a 'proof of concept' - to develop our own beer styles, to prove that we could work together and to verify that there was a real market for our beer.

After two years, I can now definitely say, that we have now completed this testing stage - we make and sell great beer, albeit in small quantities.

We are now planning our "real" brewery - including a visitors center and pub/restaurant - looking for a great location and working with investors to raise the necessary funds.

This is a work in progress - but we are confident that we'll succeed!