From Hull to Kenya, with love: a tale of beer, friendship and analytical chemistry

A love of beer made them friends, but Steve Lancaster and Anthony Gachanja's mission to bring chemistry to Kenya has changed African science forever

They come from very different worlds, yet have remarkably similar tales to tell. One hails from the outskirts of Barnsley, in the small south Yorkshire mining village of Darfield. The other was brought up under the shadows of the magnificent slopes of Africa's second-highest mountain, Mount Kenya.

Bonding over a "love of fine beer and a shared enthusiasm for science", Steve Lancaster and Anthony Gachanja have come a long way since they met 28 years ago as PhD students, studying analytical chemistry at the University of Hull. Back then they were both the first in their families to attend university. Now, they are teaching scientists in Africa how to use analytical skills to solve global challenges.