Brewery
8 Roman Way Industrial Estate, 149 Roman Way N7 8XH (Islington)
hammertonbrewery.co.uk
First sold beer: 30 April 2014
Former IT business analyst Lee Hammerton had already made plans to fill an obvious gap in the market by starting a brewery near his home in Islington when he discovered he was distantly related to a defunct London brewing dynasty which once owned a Hammerton brewery in Stockwell (below). The new Hammerton, which has doubled capacity since opening, occupies several units alongside rather than underneath the Overground at Caledonian Road and Barnsbury station, with a 25 hl brewhouse including components from Malrex and SSV.
The first head brewer was Sam Dickison, who went on to found Boxcar. He was succeeded by ex-Paulaner employee Daniel Fluess and, most recently, Charlotte Cook, formerly of Truman’s. As well as a taproom at the brewery, since April 2017 Hammerton has had its own pub closer to central Islington at Highbury, known as the House of Hammerton.
Beers are brewed for keg and can, with some in cask.
The Stockwell Brewery was founded in 1730, close to local springs (16 Stockwell Green SW9 9JF, Lambeth). It was run by Lee’s ancestor Charles Hammerton in the late 19th century and in 1938 became likely the first brewery in the world to put real oysters into stout. Watney bought it out in 1951, primarily for its lucrative off license chain rather than its pubs, which were sold on to Charrington. Brewing ceased, although the site remained in use as a bottling plant for a while before being redeveloped as housing. The brands eventually passed to Heineken, and Lee has now had the Dutch group’s claim to the trademark revoked on the grounds of non-use.
Updated 10 December 2021.
Leave a Reply