The number of breweries in London has continued to rise at a meteoric rate, with 52 real ale brewers now calling the capital their home compared to 44 this time last year – an 18% rise. Even more impressive, this comes after brewery numbers doubled in the previous twelve months, jumping from 23 in 2012 to 44 in 2013.
According to statistics released by CAMRA to mark the start of the Great British Beer Festival – which will in 2014 feature beers from 30% more London-based breweries to match the growth – London has seen the steepest rise in new brewery openings of anywhere in the UK.
“It’s fantastic to see the growth in London based breweries reflected at this year’s GBBF with brand new beers from fantastic breweries featuring alongside well established real ale brands. For many year’s London was lagging behind the rest of the UK in terms of the number of breweries, but a boom in microbreweries and brewpubs in the capital over the last few year has really put London back on the map of British beer.” Tom Stainer, CAMRA’s Head of Communications.
The stories behind the breweries are as diverse as the beers they brew. From the 10-barrel microbrewery ‘East London Brewery’, run by a husband and wife team who quit their day jobs to “start an adventure” to the now well-established Sambrook’s, where City accountant Duncan Sambrook’s formed an unlikely partnership with successful brewer David Welsh to become the excellent brewery they are today.
The brewery boom happening across the country, combined with the sheer quality of real ale being produced, means that not every brewery can be chosen for the festival and being selected is a real privilege. As Tom Stainer explains,
“There will be over 350 different British breweries featured at the Great British Beer Festival, the vast majority of whom will only have one beer featured – a move which we were forced to make in order to allow drinkers to try as many different breweries as possible.”
Fuller’s brewery, who have a bar at the festival serving seven of their own beers, including an extremely limited edition cask version of their Vintage Ale 2014, believe that the growth in breweries in the capital is a good thing for British beer drinkers,
“Fuller’s has been brewing beer for a long time and it is fantastic to be part of such a healthy London brewing scene. We play an active role in the London Brewers Alliance and believe that what’s good for the capitals drinkers is good for breweries too.” John Keeling, Fuller’s Head Brewer.
What’s more, the London breweries attending GBBF are spread across all four postcode regions, with breweries as far apart as Redemption Brewing in Tottenham to the North, Hackney Brewery to the East, Sambrook’s in Battersea to the South and Twickenham Brewery to the West.