And with new breweries comes even more choice for drinkers, with the number of regularly brewed British beers now over 5,200 according to the Good Beer Guide 2014. The Guide’s Editor, Roger Protz had this to say about the breadth of choice now available to real ale drinkers. “There has been a boom in the growth of breweries over the last 12 months, resulting in a total of 1147 breweries now producing beer in the UK – and with more breweries comes greater choice for the drinker and more opportunities to buy locally produced brews.”
Breweries have popped up across the UK in the most unusual of places – from a beer brewing pizzeria (Crate Brewery in London) to a transformed Dairy Farm (Malt Brewery in Prestwood, Buckinghamshire) and a converted School outbuilding (Old School Brewery in Warton Lancashire).
One area which has seen astonishing growth in the last 12 months is London, with the number of breweries inside the M25 doubling in the time between the 2013 and new 2014 Good Beer Guide, with 23 new breweries opening.
Plus one long-since-lost London brewery brand is now due to go back in to production. Once the second largest brewery in the UK, the old Truman Brewery in Whitechapel closed its doors in 1989, but the brand has been given a new lease of life with the grand opening of the new brewery taking place this week and beers due to hit bars across the capital in coming weeks.
Another area which has seen an above average growth in breweries is West Yorkshire, with 8 new breweries taking the counties total to a whopping 57 – the highest of any region in the UK.
“West Yorkshire has always been a strong area for beer, with Leeds, Bradford, Castleford, Halifax and Huddersfield, as well as many more smaller towns, boasting hundreds of fantastic real ale pubs. In recent years numerous new breweries such as Collingham, Big River and Brass Castle have sprung up to supply the local demand.” Protz added.
Source: Camra
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