A new campaign launching today is seeking to make it easier for beer drinkers to identify beer from independent breweries in pubs, bars, and shops as demand for local beer rises across the UK. Production volumes for independent breweries have now returned to pre-covid levels, with cask beer sold in pubs also in double digit […]
For the first time in 2024 some regions of the UK have seen their overall brewery number rise, with the overall net closure rate across the UK also slowing, according to figures released today by the SIBA UK Brewery Tracker. The UK had a net closure rate of -27 in the third quarter leading up […]
In what is a historic first for the region, the top 6 awards at the SIBA North West Independent Beer Awards 2024 were awarded to just three breweries; Bank Top in Bolton, Black Edge in Horwich, and RedWillow in Macclesfield. Bank Top Brewery took home the Overall Gold and Silver in the cask competition having […]
Reducing the tax paid on draught beer which is destined for the pub could create more than 8,000 extra jobs and result in a £265 million boost to the national economy, according to new research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). It shows that setting the Draught Relief at 50% in the […]
Oakham Ales have added to their trophy cabinet with an overall Gold at the SIBA East Independent Beer Awards 2024, beating brewers from across the East of England, stretching from North Lincolnshire down to Essex and Hertfordshire, as well Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. Oakham’s ‘Icon’, a 5% abv cask-aged IPA, was named the Overall […]
A new pan-European group of trade associations and representatives have joined forces to promote independent brewing. The Independent Brewers of Europe (IBE) aims to campaign against injustices in the beer market and to defend the diversity of independent beer to ensure that beer drinkers can continue to enjoy access to genuine local beers in the […]
In a competition that showed the huge diversity of beer styles now being brewed in Scotland it was Orkney Brewery and Fyne Ales’ Origins Project that were recently named ‘Best of the Best’ at the SIBA Scotland Independent Beer Awards held at Indie Beer Scotland 2024. Orkney Brewery’s Dark Island Reserve, a 10% whisky-barrel-aged porter […]
A traditional Best Bitter from Longman Brewery in East Sussex has been named Overall Champion of the Cask Beer competition by SIBA, with Halo by Hackney Church Brew Co taking the day’s other top award, being named Overall Champion in the seperate Keg Beer Awards. The competition sees breweries from across Greater London and South […]
Independent breweries are today calling on the Labour Government to confirm that the new Alcohol Duty System will be reviewed after three years, as research shows its impact on the beer brewed by more than half of breweries. The call comes on the first anniversary of the most far reaching changes to the Alcohol Duty […]
SIBA UK Brewery Tracker reports second consecutive quarter of decline Figures released today show the total number of breweries in the UK has continued to decline despite the sector reporting strong sales, with a -29 net closure rate across the UK and no region in growth for the second consecutive quarter. The figures released today by […]