Kirkstall Brewery

It’ll be little surprise to anyone familiar with Kirkstall Brewery, that it’s our UK Champion this year. Forever holding a torch for traditional styles brewed with modern ingredients, Kirkstall is also the proud owner of seven pubs (plus the recently acquired old Tetley Brewery), each of which preserves the unparalleled character of traditional Yorkshire boozers in its own unique way. From right nice Sunday roasts to proper pints of creamy cask, this brewery is truly a beacon of the region’s heritage, but it doesn’t confine its success to the North.

“Our brands have been growing solidly the past year,” says marketing manager Chris Hall. “We've nearly doubled our brewing capacity with the acquisition of the Springwell brewery site, and built brand partnerships with Allsopp's and Mash Gang. This means beers like Double Diamond and Chug are a big part of our brewing schedule now. We've opened up new routes to overseas markets, particularly Italy and Scandinavia. We've also increased the range of other breweries' beers we distribute in the North, such as Harvey's, Saint Monday and Boundary. It's all go!”

When asked what change Kirkstall would like to see in the beer world over the next year, Chris says that “while there has been progress in making the industry a safer and more inclusive place, there's definitely more to do. We think pubs are a big part of this, and making our pubs spaces where everyone is welcome, looked after and catered to remains a top priority. It would also be great to see a greater variety of beer styles out there, whether modern or historic, as this variety is key to keeping people coming back to pubs and bars, and helping keep our hospitality industry afloat. It's been great to see more recognition of historic and heritage beer styles in the past year, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.”