The North of England

Founded by a Theakston who had arranged his own family brewery's sale to Matthew Brown, then left when Scottish and Newcastle swallowed the buyer. Black Sheep was taken over in turn: into…

An immensely popular independent operation known for quirky pop-culture beer names and incredibly intense pastry stouts.

A legendary Lake District brewery that survived 200 years of floods, only to be permanently closed by CMBC for efficiency.

A massive independent force in the North, known for the Patrons Project and highly collaborative brewing.

Microbrewery

A globally recognized independent craft brewery famous for pioneering modern hop-forward styles in the UK.

Microbrewery

Historical brewery

Microbrewery

Microbrewery

Leeds brewery created by the founders of North Bar. In January 2024 Kirkstall founder Steve Holt purchased North after financial distress; Springwell Brewery and taprooms were secured and the…

A fiercely independent 6th-generation family brewer, scoring a pop culture goldmine with their globally selling Iron Maiden Trooper ale.

Microbrewery

Microbrewery

Microbrewery

An absolute powerhouse of the incredibly vibrant Sheffield pub scene, universally famous for their Moonshine pale.

The Cream of Manchester, and a lesson in what happens to a beer when the brewery goes. Boddingtons was a Manchester institution brewed at Strangeways from 1859, famous for a pale bitter so…

Initially acquired by Lion in 2019, they were surprisingly sold back into independent hands in 2022.

Recently acquired by Paramount Retail Group as part of a massive consolidation of northern brewing brands.

Founded by a former Cloudwater head brewer, they quickly became one of the most sought-after hop-forward indie brewers.

A legendary, family-owned independent brewer whose Landlord pale ale remains an undisputed cask classic.

Microbrewery

Microbrewery

Historical brewery

Microbrewery

Manchester's longest-standing craft stalwart, brewing since 1997 out of a city that produced Boddingtons and then watched it get taken away. Marble stayed.

Microbrewery

Microbrewery

Famous for Old Peculier; the family pulled a rare move by buying the brewery back from corporate owners to restore independence.

Microbrewery

Exploding from a hilltop brewery into a massive supermarket staple, delivering incredibly punchy, independent IPAs.

A highly respected independent brewery brilliantly operating out of a spectacular Palace of Arts building.

Historical brewery

A hazy New England IPA winning the cask category is a genuinely odd result, and a telling one. Cask has spent forty years being defended as the home of traditional bitter, and the top award just went…

A highly rated Liverpool newcomer focusing heavily on incredible hazy IPAs, stouts, and heavily fruited sours.

Manchester's dedicated barrel-aging and blending project, truly representing the bleeding edge of UK wild fermentation.

A trailblazing Yorkshire independent heavily awarded for their stellar 100% vegan and largely gluten-free craft beers.

Historical brewery

Microbrewery

Housed in a spectacular converted church, this brand is deeply and beautifully tied to Grimsby's maritime heritage.

Major independent pioneers producing a fully gluten-free core range without ever compromising on modern craft flavor.

A major anchor of the North East craft scene, specializing in hop-forward pales that regularly sweep independent awards.

Microbrewery

Historical brewery

Kendal is a market town on the edge of the Lake District, better known for mint cake than for imperial stout. Winning the national keg championship from there says something about how far British…

Microbrewery

Named after a forgotten dockland, they are renowned for eclectic can art and exceptional modern sours and stouts.

A fiercely independent farm-based brewery in the North West that has achieved absolute cult status for its hazy pales.

True visionaries and early adopters of American hop varieties in the UK, long before the modern craft boom hit.

Tadcaster's oldest brewery, at it since 1758, and the most stubbornly antique operation in Britain. Still ferments in Yorkshire squares — open stone vessels — still uses its own strain descended from…

An undisputed cornerstone of the Manchester indie scene, brewing exceptional pale ales, IPAs, and heavy stouts.

Historical brewery

Historical brewery

Historical brewery

Historical brewery

Microbrewery

Microbrewery

Historical brewery

Historical brewery

Historical brewery

Historical brewery

Microbrewery

Historical brewery

Company remains active at Companies House with beer-manufacturing SIC, but the brewery's current first-party holding page says it is taking a break from brewing; premises used as Alder Bar. Status as…

Historical brewery