Brewery
28 Chiltonian Industrial Estate SE12 0TX (Lewisham)
brockleybrewery.co.uk
First sold beer: November 2019
Suspended brewery (remains open as bar)
31 Harcourt Road SE4 2AJ (Lewisham)
First sold beer: 22 March 2013
Brewing suspended: September 2024
Brockley was founded at the initiative of Andy Rowland and five neighbours in 2013 in response to a demand for quality local beer. They installed an 8 hl kit from ABUK in a small industrial building in a back street close to Brockley station, previously home to a builder’s workshop, and soon established a following in a neighbourhood with a strong sense of community. Initially, the brewery was open to the public only for takeaway sales, but this evolved into a regular taproom.
In November 2019, the brewery launched a second, larger facility on an industrial estate between Hither Green and Lee, using a 30 hl brewhouse formerly at Fourpure (and originally at Purity in Warwickshire). Following a succession of open days, a regular taproom opened here in 2021.
The brewery’s original home initally remained active, used for specials and additional capacity as well as a taproom. There have been several head brewers including Craig Vernon, formerly at Camden Town. In August 2023, Gianluca d’Andrea, formerly at Southwark, was appointed head brewer.
Andy retired in March 2024 and the company was taken over by four of the existing staff, including Gianluca. They aim to maximise community ties and secure the future of the business through a ‘Support your local brewery’ campaign, inviting local investment and using the brewery’s spaces for community activities.
Brewing at the original site was suspended in September 2024 with some of the equipment removed and production now concentrated in Hither Green, though the bar remains open. A pilot kit for specials may be installed in future.
Beers tend towards the more traditional, with cask still a major part of the business, though with significant amounts of keg and bottled beers, bag-in-box and occasional canning on a mobile line.
Since 2020, Brockley has produced beers for the owners of the Old Truman Brewery site in Brick Lane, originally under the Brick Lane brand, more recently as Truman.
Updated 21 October 2024.
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