Breweries
Brixton site: 547 Brixton Station Road (taproom at 548) SW9 8PF (Lambeth)
Herne Hill site: 1 Dylan Road SE24 0HL (Lambeth)
brixtonbrewery.com
First sold beer: October 2013 (at Brixton site)
Conceived as early as 2011 by homebrewing neighbours Jez Galaun and Mike Ross, Brixton eventually opened two years with a 10 hl brewhouse from Oban Ales in a railway arch a little east of Brixton station at 547 Station Road. Soon establishing a keen local following, the operation later expanded into the next arch east, 548.
Many in the industry were surprised when this small outfit became the fourth new London brewery to attract funding from a multinational group Heineken bought a 49% stake in November 2017, with the strong brand and association with an iconic neighbourhood was doubtless part of the attraction.
Though the founders retained control, the Dutch brewer’s resources enabled a major expansion to a much larger industrial unit in Herne Hill, under a kilometre from the brewery’s birthplace. Operations began here in June 2018 on a 50 hl automated brewhouse from UK supplier Gravity Systems and a new canning line installed on a hi-tech floor, with a potential capacity of 30,000 hl a year.
The Brixton arches have been retained: 547 houses the brewhouse, which is still in regular use, while 548 has been converted into a regular taproom.
Heineken acquired full ownership in Feburary 2021, though the existing management remains in place.
Brixton makes beer in keg and can, with some bottling and occasional cask. The Herne Hill site accounts for the bulk of production, but the Brixton site still makes core brands, as well as specials and shorter runs for bottle and cask. Beers are nearly always named with local references.
Updated 8 December 2021.
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