They say…

Des de Moor
Best beer and travel writing award 2015, 2011 -- British Guild of Beer Writers Awards
Accredited Beer Sommelier
Writer of "Probably the best book about beer in London" - Londonist
"A necessity if you're a beer geek travelling to London town" - Beer Advocate
"A joy to read" - Roger Protz
"Very authoritative" - Tim Webb.
"One of the top beer writers in the UK" - Mark Dredge.
"A beer guru" - Popbitch.
Des de Moor

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Welcome!

Des de Moor, London, May 2015. Pic: Luke Doyle.

Des de Moor, London, May 2015. Pic: Luke Doyle.

I’m a beer writer, tour guide, walk leader, tutored tasting host and Accredited Beer Sommelier based in London.

My latest book is Cask: The real story of Britain’s unique beer culture, published in August 2023. Cask beer is a unique format of fresh, live draught beer that, at its best, delivers a taste experience unmatchable in any other way. My pioneering book, aimed at the discriminating drinker, explains what makes it special, and explores its past, present and future.

I’ve published three editions of London’s Best Beer, Pubs and Bars, the award-winning definitive guide to drinking beer in London. “Probably the best book about beer in London” — Londonist. For more see the London page.

Why not join me on one of my regular brewery heritage walks or tutored tastings. Or I can provide an informal private London heitage pub walk and tasting for your group, or a tasting for your event, alongside various other beer-related services. For more see the Beer Tours page.

I’m a contributor to numerous other books, magazines and websites, including providing the UK listings for The Pocket Beer Book and editing the 2020 edition of Beer in the Netherlands.

Elsewhere on the site are numerous blog posts and beer reviews, many of them archiving material that’s already appeared elsewhere but with some exclusive pieces. Scroll down to see the latest posts, or try these:

I also blog about walking at London underfoot: London’s walking trails under the microscope.

Tankleys Brewery

Tankleys Brewery, Sidcup DA15 (London)

Brewery, no visitors please
Sidcup DA15 (Bexley)
tankleysbrewery.com
Active since: November 2015
First sold beer: Due by May 2024

Australian-born homebrewer Glenn Heinzel first brewed commercially under the name Tankleys (an obscure family pun) at UBREW late in 2015. A year later, fellow UBREW users Beerblefish began brewing in their own right on a larger scale at a site in Enfield, and Glenn was brought in full time to run the operations.

Since then Glenn has continued Tankleys as a side project, developing recipes on a Grainfather homebrew kit at his Sidcup home and cuckoo brewing at Beerblefish and elsewhere. In 2023 he revived his brewing license and began brewing commercially at home in spring 2024. This activity is set to increase once a larger 1.6 hl kit is commissioned later in 2024.

Beers are mainly in cask, with some small scale bottling, sold locally and at festivals.

Updated 11 March 2024.

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Hopewell Brewery (Lockdown Room)

Lockdown Room, London E14

Brewpub
Hopewell Square, London E14 0SY (Tower Hamlets)
thelockdownroom.com
First sold beer: March 2024

As the name Lockdown Room suggests, this popular bar-restaurant and event venue on London City Island, a recent development in a horseshoe meander of the river Lea near Canning Town, evolved from an initiative to supply the community during the lockdowns. Local resident and beer expert Allan was asked to advise on the craft beer side and subsequently helped build it into a noted beer venue supporting numerous independent London breweries.

Allan has since added a 1.5 hl nanobrewery on the mezzanine and is now producing keg beer on a small scale for in-house sales under the Hopewell Brewery name.

Updated 8 March 2024.

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London breweries 2023

By the end of December 2023, there were 110 commercial breweries operating in London, including 28 brewpubs. Those breweries were:

  1. 3 Locks Brewing Company NW1, Camden
  2. 40FT Brewery E8, Hackney
  3. Affinity Brew Co (Grosvenor Arms) SW9, Lambeth, brewpub
  4. Anomaly Brewing KT3, Kingston upon Thames, no visitors
  5. Anspach & Hobday CR0, Sutton
  6. Babel Beerhouse (Odyssey, formerly Little Creatures Regents Canal) N1, Camden, brewpub
  7. Battersea Brewery (Battersea) SW11, Wandsworth, brewpub
  8. Battersea Substation (Bermondsey) SE16, Southwark
  9. BBNo (Brew by Numbers, Keystone) SE10, Greenwich (due to close March 2024 with production moved outside London)
  10. Beavertown Brewery (Ponders End, Heineken) EN3, Enfield
  11. Beavertown Brewery (Tottenham Hale, Heineken) N17, Haringey
  12. Beerblefish Brewing Co E17, Waltham Forest
  13. Belleville Brewing SW12, Wandsworth
  14. Bexley Brewery DA8, Bexley
  15. Bianca Road Brew Co SE16, Southwark
  16. Bohem Brewery N17, Haringey
  17. Br3wery BR3, Bromley, brewpub
  18. BrewDog Outpost Tower Hill EC3, City of London, brewpub
  19. BrewDog Waterloo SE1, Lambeth, brewpub
  20. Brewhouse and Kitchen Highbury N5, Islington, brewpub
  21. Brewhouse and Kitchen Hoxton E2, Hackney, brewpub
  22. Brixton Brewery (Brixton, Heineken) SW9, Lambeth
  23. Brixton Brewery (Herne Hill, Heineken) SE24, Lambeth
  24. Brockley Brewery (Brockley) SE4, Lewisham
  25. Brockley Brewery (Hither Green) SE12, Lewisham
  26. Broken Drum Brewery DA15, Bexley, brewpub
  27. Bull and Finch / So What Brewing Co SE19, Southwark, brewpub
  28. Bullfinch Brewery SE24, Lambeth
  29. Camden Town Brewery (Kentish Town, AB InBev) NW5, Camden
  30. Camden Town Brewery (Ponders End, AB InBev) EN3, Enfield
  31. Clarkshaws Brewing SW9, Lambeth
  32. Concrete Island Brewery W12, Hammersmith & Fulham, no visitors
  33. Cronx Brewery (The) CR0, Croydon
  34. Distortion Brewing SW8, Wandsworth, brewpub
  35. Drop Project Brewing Co CR4, Merton
  36. East London Brewing Co E10, Waltham Forest
  37. Exale Brewing E17, Waltham Forest
  38. Firkin Brewery (Fox and Firkin) SE13, Lewisham, brewpub NEW!
  39. Five Points Brewing Co (The) E8, Hackney
  40. Forest Road Brewing Co SE14, Lewisham
  41. Fourpure Brewing (Odyssey) SE16, Southwark
  42. Friendship Adventure Brewery SW9, Lambeth
  43. Fuller’s Griffin Brewery (Asahi) W4, Hounslow
  44. German Kraft (Kraft Dalston) E8, Hackney, brewpub
  45. German Kraft (Mercato Metropolitano Elephant) SE1, Southwark, brewpub
  46. German Kraft (Mercato Metropolitano Mayfair) W1, Westminster, brewpub
  47. Gipsy Hill Brewing SE27, Lambeth
  48. Goodness Brewing Company (The) N22, Haringey
  49. Gravity Well Brewing Co N17, Haringey
  50. Great Beyond Brewing Co E2, Hackney, brewpub
  51. Greater Good Fresh Brewing Co (The) (Pinter) E17, Waltham Forest, no visitors
  52. Hackney Brewery E17, Waltham Forest
  53. Hackney Church Brew Co E8, Hackney, brewpub
  54. Hammersmith Craft Brewery W6, Hammersmith & Fulham
  55. Hammerton Brewery N7, Islington
  56. Howling Hops Brewery E9, Tower Hamlets, brewpub
  57. Ignition Brewery SE26, Lewisham
  58. Inkspot Brewery SW16, Lambeth
  59. Jawbone Brewing TW1, Richmond upon Thames
  60. Kanpai London Craft Sake SE1, Southwark
  61. Kernel Brewery (The) SE16, Southwark
  62. Libertalia Brewing Co E10, Waltham Forest NEW!
  63. London Beer Lab (Brixton) SW9, Lambeth
  64. London Beer Lab (Loughborough Junction) SW9, Lambeth, no visitors
  65. London Brewing Co (Bohemia) N12, Barnet, brewpub
  66. Long Arm Brewery (ETM) EC2, Islington, brewpub
  67. Mammoth Beer E15, Hackney
  68. Marko Paulo Brewery (Owl and the Pussycat) W13, Ealing, brewpub
  69. Marlix Brewing Co BR5, Bromley
  70. Mash Paddle Brewery SE16, Southwark, shared brewery
  71. Meantime Brewing (Asahi) SE10, Greenwich
  72. Mikkeller Brewpub London EC1, Islington, brewpub
  73. Mondo Brewing SW8, Wandsworth
  74. Muswell Hillbilly Brewers N10, Haringey
  75. Mutineers Brewery BR1, Bromley, no visitors
  76. Neckstamper Brewing E10, Waltham Forest
  77. Nirvana Brewery E10, Waltham Forest
  78. Oddly Beer N11, Friern Barnet, no visitors
  79. Old Street Brewery E9, Tower Hamlets
  80. ORA Brewing N17, Haringey
  81. Orbit Beers SE17, Southwark
  82. Park Brewery (The) KT1, Kingston upon Thames
  83. Perivale Brewery UB6, Ealing
  84. Pillars Brewery E17, Waltham Forest
  85. Pinnora Brewing HA5, Harrow, no visitors
  86. Portobello Brewing Co W10, Kensington & Chelsea
  87. Pressure Drop Brewing N17, Haringey
  88. Pretty Decent Beer Co E17, Waltham Forest
  89. Ram Inn (Laine/Punch, formerly SlyBeast, currenty operated by Coalition) SW18, Wandsworth, brewpub
  90. Redemption Brewing N17, Haringey
  91. Roundwood Project NW10, Ealing
  92. Saint Monday Brewery (formerly London Fields Brewery) E8, Hackney, brewing restarted August 2023
  93. Sambrook’s Brewery (Ram Brewery) SW18, Wandsworth
  94. Signal Brewery CR0, Sutton
  95. Signature Brew E17, Waltham Forest
  96. Small Beer Brew Co SE16, Southwark
  97. Southey Brewing Co SE20, Bromley
  98. Southwark Brewing SE1, Southwark
  99. Tap East E20, Newham, brewpub
  100. Temple Brew House (formerly Essex Street Brewing) (City Pubs) WC2, Westminster, brewpub
  101. Tiny Vessel Brewing Co TW12, Richmond upon Thames, no visitors
  102. Twickenham Fine Ales TW2, Richmond upon Thames
  103. Two Tribes N7, Islington
  104. Up the Creek SE10, Greenwich, brewpub
  105. Villages Brewery SE8, Lewisham
  106. Werewolf Beer NW1, Camden
  107. Wild Card Brewery E17, Waltham Forest
  108. Wimbledon Brewery SW19, Merton
  109. Workshy Brewing TW9, Richmond upon Thames, no visitors
  110. Zerodegrees Blackheath SE3, Lewisham, brewpub

Suspended breweries

Closed breweries

  1. BBNo (Brew by Numbers, Bermondsey) SE16, Southwark, closed by May 2023.
  2. Block Brewery (Wenlock Arms) N1, Hackney, brewpub, ceased brewing February 2023, pub remains open.
  3. Brick Brewery (BREAL/Keystone) SE8, Lewisham, ceased brewing November 2023, production relocated outside London.
  4. Deviant and Dandy E9, Hackney, closed November 2023
  5. Mad Yank Brewery (The) HA5, Hillingdon, closed by March 2023
  6. OMEBEER (formerly One Mile End Brewery) N17, Haringey, closed January 2023
  7. Partizan Brewing SE16, Southwark, moved to Market Harborough March 2023
  8. Three Hills Brewing The Outpost SE16, Southwark, all brewing shifted outside London in Spring 2023

Suspended breweries confirmed as permanently closed:

  1. Florence Brewery (The) (Greene King) SE24, Lambeth, brewpub, brewing suspended since 2018, equipment finally removed April 2023.
  2. Gorgeous Brewery (Bull) N6, Haringey, brewpub, suspended February 2022, confirmed brand has moved permanently to Warwickshire August 2023.
  3. Greywood Brewery N22, Haringey, suspended by end 2021 and gave up brewing license.
  4. Jeffersons Brewery TW9, Richmond upon Thames, suspended September 2022, company dissolved January 2023.
  5. Queen’s Head Shoreditch (formerly Goose Island Brewpub Shoreditch) E1, Hackney, brewpub, suspended September 2022, brewhouse removed by November 2023.

Other changes:

  • Better World Brewing: beer firm went into liquidation October 2023.
  • BREAL: the company that took over BBNo and Brick in 2023 renamed itself the Keystone Brewing Group in late February 2024.
  • Ealing Brewing: brewery closed and production transferred back to Marko Paulo June 2023.

For definitions of a London brewery, see the current London breweries page.

London breweries year by year.

Big Drop Brewing Co

Big Drop, London.

Beer firm
bigdropbrew.com
Active since: October 2016

Former lawyer Rob Fink and designer James Kindred launched Big Drop as a specialist brewer of beers of 0.5% ABV and less after Rob noticed a gap in the market when he gave up drinking for an extended period. They began by cuckoo brewing at now-closed Bermondsey shared brewery UBREW in 2016 but by 2017 had expanded to partnerships with larger producers, appointing former Wild Beer brewer Johnny Clayton as head of production.

As of 2023, the business is based in Ipswich, Suffolk, though the beer is brewed in London at Fourpure, and the relationship was strengthened in May 2023 through a licensing deal.

Beers are in can and keg, in a variety of styles from lagers to brown ales and stouts, including changing specials. They are exported internationally and also brewed in Australia and the USA for local markets.

Updated 1 September 2023.

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Libertalia Brewing Co

Libertalia Brewing Co, London E10

Brewery
142 Tilbury Road, London E10 6RE (Waltham Forest)
instagram.com/libertaliabrewingco
First sold beer: November 2023

Christos Daskalopoulos and Matt Dean met when they were both working at an Athens brewpub. Matt later went to Meantime but ended up working alongside Christos again when Greek brewery 56 Isles set up 3 Locks as a London offshoot.

In 2023 the pair got the chance to create their own venture, taking on the former Gravity Well arch under the Overground at Leyton Midland Road. This initially reopened in August as a bar but began producing beer again in November on a venerable 8 hl kit that Matt believes was originally made for a first-generation 1970s microbrewery.

The name is borrowed from a legendary 17th century utopian colony founded by pirates, which practised equality for all irrespective of colour and creed.

Beers are in keg, bottle and can, with cask due to be added early in 2024.

Updated 18 December 2023.

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Blondies Brewery

Blondies Brewery, London E10

Beer firm, planned brewpub
Patchworks, 258 Church Road, London E10 7JQ (Waltham Forest)
blondiesbar.co.uk
Planned for: Feburary 2024

Blondies is a popular Clapton bar and music venue opened by sisters Sharmaine and Verity Cox in 2016. The sisters always planned to add their own brewery but struggled to find a site: plans for a railway arch in Hackney fell through in 2019 and the lockdowns frustrated further progress.

In summer 2023, the bar began stocking a house lager and session IPA cuckoo brewed at Mammoth, and on 18 August 2023 the bar at a new brewery and taproom site finally opened in a former furniture factory space a short distance from the river Lea at Leyton.

A 10 hl brewhouse sourced from BritHop was installed with the assistance of Mammoth, but a combination of paperwork and practical issues delayed commissioning. Test brews were successfully completed in December 2023 and commercial brewing is expected early in 2024.

Beers will initially be in keg only, sold onsite and at the Blondies bar, though there are plans to expand production to distribute the beers more widely and possibly add a canning facility.

Updated 14 December 2023.

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London breweries 2022

The nanobrewery at BBNo, Bermondsey, April 2022.

By the end of December 2022, there were 122 commercial breweries operating in London, including 29 brewpubs. Those breweries were:

  1. 3 Locks Brewing Company NW1, Camden NEW!
  2. 40FT Brewery E8, Hackney
  3. Affinity Brew Co (Grosvenor Arms) SW9, Lambeth, brewpub
  4. Anomaly Brewing KT3, Kingston upon Thames, no visitors
  5. Anspach & Hobday CR0, Sutton
  6. Battersea Brewery SW11, Wandsworth, brewpub
  7. BBNo (Brew by Numbers, Bermondsey) SE16, Southwark
  8. BBNo (Brew by Numbers, Greenwich) SE10, Greenwich
  9. Beavertown Brewery (Ponders End, Heineken) EN3, Enfield
  10. Beavertown Brewery (Tottenham Hale, Heineken) N17, Haringey
  11. Beavertown Brewery (Tottenham Hotspur, Heineken) N17, Haringey, brewpub
  12. Beerblefish Brewing Co E17, Waltham Forest
  13. Belleville Brewing SW12, Wandsworth
  14. Bexley Brewery DA8, Bexley
  15. Bianca Road Brew Co SE16, Southwark
  16. Block Brewery (Wenlock Arms) N1, Hackney, brewpub
  17. Bohem Brewery N17, Haringey
  18. Boxcar Brewery E2, Tower Hamlets
  19. Br3wery BR3, Bromley, brewpub
  20. BrewDog Outpost Tower Hill EC3, City of London, brewpub
  21. BrewDog Waterloo SE1, Lambeth, brewpub NEW!
  22. Brewhouse and Kitchen Highbury N5, Islington, brewpub
  23. Brewhouse and Kitchen Hoxton E2, Hackney, brewpub
  24. Brick Brewery SE8, Lewisham
  25. Brixton Brewery (Brixton, Heineken) SW9, Lambeth
  26. Brixton Brewery (Herne Hill, Heineken) SE24, Lambeth
  27. Brockley Brewery (Brockley) SE4, Lewisham
  28. Brockley Brewery (Hither Green) SE12, Lewisham
  29. Broken Drum Brewery DA15, Bexley, brewpub
  30. Bull and Finch / So What Brewing Co SE19, Southwark, brewpub
  31. Bullfinch Brewery SE24, Lambeth
  32. Camden Town Brewery (Kentish Town, AB InBev) NW5, Camden
  33. Camden Town Brewery (Ponders End, AB InBev) EN3, Enfield
  34. Clarkshaws Brewing SW9, Lambeth
  35. Concrete Island Brewery W12, Hammersmith & Fulham, no visitors
  36. Cronx Brewery (The) CR0, Croydon
  37. Deviant and Dandy E9, Hackney
  38. Distortion Brewing SW8, Wandsworth, brewpub
  39. Dogs Grandard Brewery SW9, Lambeth
  40. Drop Project Brewing Co CR4, Merton
  41. Ealing Brewing TW8, Hounslow
  42. East London Brewing Co E10, Waltham Forest
  43. Exale Brewing E17, Waltham Forest
  44. Fearless Nomad Brewing (Black Dog) TW8, Hounslow, brewpub
  45. Five Points Brewing Co (The) E8, Hackney
  46. Forest Road Brewing Co SE14, Lewisham
  47. Fourpure Brewing (Odyssey) SE16, Southwark
  48. Friendship Adventure Brewery SW9, Lambeth
  49. Fuller’s Griffin Brewery (Asahi) W4, Hounslow
  50. German Kraft (Kraft Dalston) E8, Hackney, brewpub
  51. German Kraft (Mercato Metropolitano Elephant) SE1, Southwark, brewpub
  52. German Kraft (Mercato Metropolitano Mayfair) W1, Westminster, brewpub
  53. Gipsy Hill Brewing SE27, Lambeth
  54. Goodness Brewing Company (The) N22, Haringey
  55. Gravity Well Brewing Co E10, Waltham Forest
  56. Great Beyond Brewing Co E2, Hackney, brewpub NEW!
  57. Greater Good Fresh Brewing Co (The) (Pinter) E17, Waltham Forest, no visitors
  58. Hackney Brewery E17, Waltham Forest
  59. Hackney Church Brew Co E8, Hackney, brewpub
  60. Hammersmith Craft Brewery W6, Hammersmith & Fulham
  61. Hammerton Brewery N7, Islington
  62. Howling Hops Brewery E9, Tower Hamlets, brewpub
  63. Husk Brewing E16, Newham
  64. Ignition Brewery SE26, Lewisham
  65. Inkspot Brewery SW16, Lambeth
  66. Jawbone Brewing TW1, Richmond upon Thames
  67. Kanpai London Craft Sake SE15, Southwark
  68. Kernel Brewery (The) SE16, Southwark
  69. London Beer Lab (Brixton) SW9, Lambeth
  70. London Beer Lab (Loughborough Junction) SW9, Lambeth, no visitors
  71. London Brewing Co (Bohemia) N12, Barnet, brewpub
  72. Long Arm Brewery (ETM) EC2, Islington, brewpub
  73. Macintosh Ales W6, Hammersmith & Fulham, no visitors
  74. Mad Yank Brewery (The) HA5, Hillingdon, no visitors
  75. Mammoth Beer E15, Hackney
  76. Marlix Brewing Co BR5, Bromley
  77. Mash Paddle Brewery SE16, Southwark, shared brewery NEW!
  78. Meantime Brewing (Asahi) SE10, Greenwich
  79. Mikkeller Brewpub London EC1, Islington, brewpub
  80. Mondo Brewing SW8, Wandsworth
  81. Muswell Hillbilly Brewers N10, Haringey
  82. Mutineers Brewery BR1, Bromley, no visitors
  83. Neckstamper Brewing E10, Waltham Forest
  84. Nirvana Brewery E10, Waltham Forest
  85. Oddly Beer N11, Friern Barnet, no visitors
  86. Old Street Brewery E9, Tower Hamlets
  87. OMEBEER (formerly One Mile End Brewery) N17, Haringey
  88. ORA Brewing N17, Haringey
  89. Orbit Beers SE17, Southwark
  90. Park Brewery (The) KT1, Kingston upon Thames
  91. Partizan Brewing SE16, Southwark
  92. Perivale Brewery UB6, Ealing
  93. Pillars Brewery E17, Waltham Forest
  94. Pinnora Brewing HA5, Harrow, no visitors
  95. Portobello Brewing Co W10, Kensington & Chelsea
  96. Pressure Drop Brewing N17, Haringey
  97. Pretty Decent Beer Co E7, Waltham Forest
  98. Ram Inn (formerly SlyBeast) SW18, Wandsworth, brewpub
  99. Redemption Brewing N17, Haringey
  100. Roundwood Project NW10, Ealing NEW!
  101. SALT London (Ossett, formerly Hop Stuff) SE28, Greenwich
  102. Sambrook’s Brewery (Ram Brewery) SW18, Wandsworth
  103. Signal Brewery CR0, Sutton
  104. Signature Brew E17, Waltham Forest
  105. Small Beer Brew Co SE16, Southwark
  106. Southey Brewing Co SE20, Bromley
  107. Southwark Brewing SE1, Southwark
  108. Spartan Brewery SE16, Southwark
  109. Tap East E20, Newham, brewpub
  110. Temple Brew House (formerly Essex Street Brewing) (City Pubs) WC2, Westminster, brewpub
  111. Three Hills Brewing The Outpost SE16, Southwark
  112. Tiny Vessel Brewing Co TW12, Richmond upon Thames, no visitors
  113. Twickenham Fine Ales TW2, Richmond upon Thames
  114. Two Tribes N7, Islington
  115. Up the Creek SE10, Greenwich, brewpub
  116. Urban Alchemy Brewing Co EN5, Barnet, no visitors
  117. Villages Brewery SE8, Lewisham
  118. Werewolf Beer NW1, Camden
  119. Wild Card Brewery E17, Waltham Forest
  120. Wimbledon Brewery SW19, Merton
  121. Workshy Brewing TW9, Richmond upon Thames, no visitors
  122. Zerodegrees Blackheath SE3, Lewisham, brewpub

Suspended breweries

Closed breweries

For definitions of a London brewery, see the current London breweries page.

London breweries year by year.

Lucky Saint

Lucky Saint, London W1.

Beer firm
Also known as Not Another Beer Co.
58 Devonshire Street, London W1W 5EA
luckysaint.co
Active since: October 2018

Founded by Luke Boase, London-based Lucky Saint commissions a much-admired and widely available unfiltered alcohol-free pale lager to its own recipe. The beer is made at a historic Bavarian brewery in accordance with the traditional purity law but the company is coy on the details.

For several years the company was managed from co-working spaces but in March 2023 reopened the Masons Arms pub in Fitzrovia, London W1, renaming it the Lucky Saint, as both a bar, which also stocks alcoholic drinks, and permanent offices.

The beer was originally available only in bottles but is now also canned, and a keg version has been available since 2020.

Updated 7 August 2023.

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Firkin Brewery (Fox and Firkin Lewisham)

Brewpub
Brewery: 15 Whitburn Road SE13 7UQ (Lewisham)
Pub: 316 Lewisham High Street SE13 6JZ
foxfirkin.com
First sold beer: October 2023

Firkin Brewery, London SE13

This busy music pub became a brewpub towards the end of 2023, with a facility known as the Firkin brewery added in a former Sainsbury’s depot at the back. The project was the brainchild of Didier Autard, who has owned the pub for over a decade, and brewing consultant Hugo Anderson, a longstanding brewer with AB InBev.

The brewery was first proposed before the 2019 Covid lockdowns, but was subject to numerous delays due to bureaucracy, installation and staffing issues. The original head brewer had to leave for health reasons, but a replacement formerly at BBNo has since been recruited. The first beers eventually went on sale towards the end of October 2023.

This is the second time the pub, formerly the Black Bull, has operated as a brewpub. In 1980 it became the second in David Bruce’s chain of Firkin brewpubs following the Goose and Firkin and continued to serve its own beer until new owners Punch discontinued brewing across the chain in 1999. It’s one of the few to retain its Firkin-era name.

Beers are in keg though following a planned refurbishment in 2024 the core brands will be dispensed from 1,000 l tanks behind the bar.

Updated 14 December 2023.

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3 Locks Brewing Company

Also known as Hawley Wharf Brewing Company.

3 Locks Brewing Company, London NW1

Brewery
Arch N4 Dockray Place NW1 8QD (Camden)
3locksbeer.com
First sold beer: November 2022

Founded by Marinos Alexandrou of the 56 Isle brewery in Paros, Greece, this enterprise occupies several arches under two branches of the Overground, with a taproom and shop located in arch S14. The three locks of the name are on the nearby Regents Canal.

Matt Dean and Christos Daskalopoulos, who worked with Marinos to set things up initially, have since moved on to their own brewery, Libertalia.

Beers are in keg and can.

Updated 18 December 2023.

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