Homebrewers have their chance to help decide the future of a new hop variety by entering this year’s National Homebrew Beer Awards which opens for registration today (22 October 2025). The Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) has partnered with hop merchants Charles Faram to give homebrewers access to the latest experimental British hops […]
Click here to enter the SIBA Homebrew Beer Awards 2026 Important Information: For the 2026 SIBA Homebrew Beer Awards, SIBA has joined forces with cutting edge hop merchants Charles Faram, The Malt Miller and Copper Beech Brew Co to get homebrewers’ hands on some new experimental British hops that are not yet commercially available. The […]
A new report published today has shown that whilst demand for independent beer remains strong, UK brewers face “heavy headwinds” from increased taxation, market access restrictions and reduced alcohol consumption facing breweries which threaten to blow the industry off course. This means that whilst average production climbed 10% last year, nearly half (46%) of independent […]
Help is on hand for Scottish pub tenants looking to navigate the new guest beers provisions coming in as part of the Pubs Code in Scotland from April. A new free portal has been developed by the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) at www.guestbeer.co.uk which allows pub tenants to check that beer brands […]
Commenting on today’s publication of the Independent Review of the Liquor Licensing System in Northern Ireland including the Surrender Principle, SIBA NI Chair William Mayne said: “This detailed review is clear that reform of the licensing system is well overdue and the current surrender principle is failing to protect Northern Ireland’s pubs. Instead it acts […]
SIBA has today announced a partnership with leading London brewery Five Points, malt specialists Crisp Malt and The Malt Miller, to challenge homebrewers to brew the best British Dark Beer. And to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Maris Otter malt in 2025, each beer should use this legendary variety as the base of their brew. […]
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 […]
Responding to the announcement by DEFRA on the Deposit Return Scheme fro drinks containers, Richard Naisby, Chair of SIBA, said: “To make the Deposit Return Scheme work for small independent breweries and consumers we need one scheme that is introduced with the same materials, the same rules and on the same day across the UK. […]
Independent breweries are putting fairness at the heart of its policy platform for the next Government in a document launched last night in Parliament. In its manifesto, the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA), which represents the UK’s small and independent breweries, has outlined the policies that could boost the sector over the next […]
Allowing beer of less than 0.5% ABV to be labelled as ‘alcohol-free’ would bring it in line with the EU and America, address the barriers to trade and provide clarity for consumers. However other labelling changes being considered could add further complexity and make it more difficult for small independent breweries to enter the market […]