Rooster's Brewing
• • • Community Champion • • •
Robyn Gilmour
Saturday 18 October 2025
This article is from
Beer Awards 2025
issue 123
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“The spirit of collaboration and sense of togetherness that community engagement helps to create, means its importance can’t be understated,” says operations director, Tom Fozard. “It’s important for smaller groups of individuals and businesses to look out for one another, and share ideas along the way. It represents and protects something global imposters are unable to achieve with any sincerity.” We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.
Rooster’s has been an active member within the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) since the 1990s, with Ian Fozard — who co-owns Rooster’s with his two sons Tom and Oliver (head brewer) — sitting on its board of directors since 2013. He currently represents the North East region, but was also National Chair between 2018 and 2021. Today, Ian remains a board director but also sits on the SIBA Executive, which is the body charged with overseeing SIBA’s day-to-day operations.
SIBA was instrumental in achieving reform of the beer duty system in 2001 when Small Brewer’s Duty relief was created. Since then SIBA’s lobbying has helped shape the 2023 beer duty reforms which helped improve the severe rate of duty increase that occurred once a small brewer produced more than 5000hl per annum. SIBA’s lobbying was also key in obtaining draught duty relief, which helps support pubs at a very difficult time.
SIBA is also currently involved in campaigning for better market access for all independent brewers.
“Access to market is a huge stumbling block for most independent breweries,” Say Tom. “The global brewers have long been very effective in tying up lines in pubs up and down the country, either by being very aggressive with their multinational brands, buying successful craft brands or creating brands that masquerade as something they’re not. Successive governments have been lobbied by organisations such as CAMRA and SIBA over the years, but to little or no effect. That’s not to discredit their effort; who knows what the landscape would look like without them? It’d be great to see a meaningful review take place, the sooner the better. Pubs are community assets and too many continue to close, with little to no regard shown by those who it doesn’t affect. Something needs to change in order to reverse the trend and provide smaller, independent businesses with a fairer route to market.”
Until change comes, Roosters will plug away at what it does best: brewing great beer.
“A lot has been happening at Rooster’s over the past 12 months, starting with expanding our sales team in order to better compete in our local area and beyond,” says Tom. “We’ve also been carrying out some larger installation projects, including two new grain silos and a centrifuge. Combined, they’ll help free up time and space to help us further improve the quality of the beers we brew and package, dialling in on process even more in order to expand and grow the business. We’ve been chipping away at breathing new life into a selection of our beers in order to help them stand out and compete better than they have previously. Starting with the addition and launch of Hazy-Faced Assassin in May, we’ve recently re-branded the beer’s namesake, our flagship IPA, Baby-Faced Assassin, which we’re really excited about. Two other beers that make up the Assassin range will be following suit shortly too; namely Mango Hazy Assassin and Easy-Going Assassin, so watch this space!”
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