Tim Steward taught post graduate psychology in Edinburgh University for about 20 years and has had close links with the licensed trade in Edinburgh. For many years he was a member of the Tasting Committee of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and a director of a group of Real Ale Pubs. Consultancy work outside the university with organisations such as the International Stock Exchange led him to re-focus his working life and undertake an MBA followed by the British Government sponsored DTI Executive Japanese Programme. He studied Japanese both in Scotland and Japan and worked in Osaka with a pharmaceuticals company.

During his time in Japan, he ran whisky tastings on behalf of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. On his return to Scotland he worked again with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society as a consultant, setting up their branches in Japan and France and organising tastings both in Japan and Singapore. He has also worked as a consultant throughout Pacific Rim countries for Allied Distillers, delivering whisky training programmes as a Brand Ambassador, specifically tailoring them for staff who market both blended and single malt whiskies to the Japanese tourist trade.