Includes information about Ellenberg’s
Brewery no longer in London
5 Boston Business Park, Trumpers Way W7 2QA (Ealing)
weirdbeardbrewco.com
First sold beer: 17 March 2013
Ceased brewing in London: Feburary 2022
Two separate companies founded by award-winning homebrewers and London Amateur Brewers members who met at an IPA tasting launched in 2011 with the aim of sharing a single brewery facility: Weird Beard, founded by Gregg Irwin and Bryan Spooner, and Ellenberg’s, run by Mike Ellenberg. After several delays, a 16 hl kit from Brewery Vessels Ltd was installed in an industrial unit by the Grand Union Canal in Hanwell in January 2013.
In the event Weird Beard was the more successful of the pair, establishing a reputation for high quality, stylish but uncompromising beers with distinctive branding, and early in 2014 bought out Ellenberg’s share. Operations subsequently expanded into two nearby units, with additional fermentation capacity, a bottling line and a barrel vault.
Gregg moved on early in 2017, but Bryan continued to direct brewing operations, as well as retaining facial grooming practices appropriate to the brewery’s name.
The brewery, one of very few in west London, long wrestled with its location, which precluded a regular taproom. Following the challenges of the 2020-21 lockdowns, the business was put up for sale early in 2022, with all production suspended. It was confirmed in March that the brand has been bought by a Doghouse Brewery in Darwen, Lancashire. Bryan will be joining their staff and will continue to brew Weird Beard beers there. So at least the excellent beers have a future, even if outside London.
Beers were mainly in keg and can, with some cask and occasional bottled specials.
Updated 4 August 2022.
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