Brewery no longer in London
Brewery: 160 Hamilton Road SE27 9SF (now closed)
Barrel vault: The Barrel Project, 80 Druid Street SE1 2HQ
thelondonbeerfactory.com
First sold beer: August 2014
Ceased brewing in London: August 2022
The London Beer Factory began as an ambitious undertaking just across the yard from Gipsy Hill brewery. It was the brainchild of brothers Sim and Ed Cotton – the latter spent several years in Australian vineyards before moving on to beer. The first head brewer was Archie Village, who went on to found his own brewery, Villages, in Deptford. The facility started with a substantial 32 hl kit, with an additional pilot kit enabling the development of several unusual beers.
Fermentation capacity was extended, and in spring 2016 the brewery became the first in the UK to package in ‘360’ cans with an entirely removable lid. The beer was canned in-house using a micro line supplied by Cask Brewing Systems of Canada.
In summer 2017, London Beer Factory added a barrel vault and bar, the Barrel Project, in Bermondsey, which was refurbished and relaunched in September 2018. During 2019, the brewery added a mobile coolship which was used in collaborations with several other brewers.
In the early days an occasional taproom operated at the brewery site but this was closed to make way for expansion of production. In December 2020, an offsite bar opened at the brewery’s warehouse in West Norwood, but this was closed by October 2021.
Brewing in London ceased in 2022, with operations moving to an undisclosed address in Norfolk. The Barrel Project continues as a retail outlet but there are no brewing facilities there, only fermentation.
Beers are sold in can, keg and cask, with Barrel Project specials hand-bottled in 330ml bottles.
Updated 22 December 2022.
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