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Breweries in Sussex
There seem to be TWENTY SIX listed breweries in Sussex (as at Jan 2012) although some of them are just setting up or between premises it seems... There is up-to-date news of them in each edition of the quarterly publication Sussex Drinker. I have not listed very many beers as some of them are seasonal and CAMRA's Good Beer Guide or each brewer's website has more detail.
These four/five are in our Branch Area:
BEDLAM, Albourne, West Sussex
Albourne Farm, Shaveswood Lane, Albourne, HASSOCKS, West Sussex BN6 9DX. tel --?--?-- www.bedlambrewery.co.uk Setting up at Albourne Farm. No details as yet (Jan 2012); website being created.
HARVEYS, Lewes, East Sussex
Bridge Wharf Brewery, 6 Cliffe High Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 2AH. tel 01273 480209. www.harveys.org.uk A large, family-run brewery on the banks of the River Ouse in East Sussex's county town, its popular beers winning numerous CAMRA awards - eg Aug 2006: Champion Best Bitter and Runner-up to Champion Beer of Britain Earls Court, London. Their beers are fairly widely available in Sussex, parts of Kent and Surrey and they have one tied house in London, The Royal Oak, 44 Tabard St. SE1 4JU.
KEMPTOWN at The Hand in Hand pub, Kemptown, Brighton
33 Upper St. James Street, Brighton BN2 1JN tel 01273 699595 (No current website) Pub brewery built 1989 in the tower tradition behind and above The Hand in Hand pub, Brighton. Bev Robbins, the founder and brewer, died July 20th 2006. An employee, Matt, is continuing to brew but the beers are not always available at the pub, and the lease may be for sale.
RECTORY ALES, Streat, East Sussex
Streat Hill Farm, Streat Hill, Streat, Hassocks, East Sussex BN6 8RP. tel/fax 01273 890570 rectoryales@hotmail.com Founded 1995 by Rev. Godfrey Broster, the Rector of Plumpton, to generate funds for the maintenance of three parish churches, with 107 parishioners as shareholders. Beers are occasionally seen at 'the usual suspects' local free houses in GBG, and at beer festivals.
SOUTHDOWNS, Small Dole, West Sussex
Not operational yet but the beers are being brewed at Kent Brewery whilst the brewery at Small Dole (probably on Mackley Industrial Estate) is being built. Brewer will be Andrew ('Widdi') Mars who brewed for a while at Adur Brewery. Beers so far (Jan 2012) are Ruskins Ram 4% (originally a house beer for The Shepherd & Dog, Fulking) and a Devils Dyke Porter. www.southdownsbrewery.com
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The other 21 or so Sussex Breweries are below. "King & Barnes" beers originally from Horsham are now brewed in Dorset by Hall & Woodhouse (Badger Beers) who bought and closed the brewery.
1648 BREWING COMPANY, Mill Lane, East Hoathly, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 6QB. tel. 01825 840238. www.1648brewing.co.uk East Hoathly's Village Brewery and Brew Pub. The Kings Head, in the centre of the village, is the primary outlet for the beer and the brewery can be found at the start of Mill Lane, just to the left of the pub.
ADUR BREWERY, office 2 Sullington Way, Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 6PJ, tel 01903 867614 or 01273 808361 (Graham Timmins) Brewery is at Charlton Court on the Wiston House Estate, half-way up Mouse Lane, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3DG. Co-op website (adurvalleycoop.com) Brewery set up in 2008 by Andy Dwelly, having had the first few batches contract-brewed earlier in Hampshire. Now being transferred (Jan 2012) to a Co-operative of local people – Britain's third Co-operative brewery after Hesket Newmarket & Topsham. Restarted with first co-op brew October 2011. The 'brewery tap' is The Red Lion, Old Shoreham Road, Shoreham BN43 5TE, tel 01273 453717.
ANCHOR SPRINGS, Unit J, OYO Business Units, Lineside Industrial Estate, Littlehampton BN17 7GA, tel 01903 715111. Kevin & Debbie Jenkins run The Crown at Littlehampton and set this up (allegedly 2009) to brew their own beer. Brewer is Mark Penfold. First beer 24 May 2010 was IPA (4.7%) with best Bitter, Sand Bar etc. Beers appear at local beer festivals and presumably at The Crown (tel 01903 734879) www.thecrownlittlehampton.co.uk.
ARUNDEL ALES, Unit C7, Ford Airfield Industrial Estate, Ford, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 0HY. tel 01903 733111. www.arundelbrewery.co.uk e-mail arundelbrewery@dsl.pipex.com. Founded in 1992, it was "the historic town's first brewery for 70 years, and marked the rebirth of a tradition dating back more than 200 years." The brewery is in fact on industrial estate south of Arundel at Ford. It changed ownership 2004, and later its head brewer, but continues its range of core brands and seasonal beers.
BALLARDS Brewery, The Old Sawmill, Nyewood, Petersfield GU31 5HA. tel 01730 821301. www.ballardsbrewery.org.uk (postal address Hampshire but Nyewood is in Sussex). Ballards have been at the current site since 1988, and at Cumbers Farm before that, supplying about 60 free trade outlets and bottling some of their beers which can be bought at markets and food fairs around the area each summer. The 'Ballards Walk' from the brewery is on the first Sunday in December from about 10am. People arrive at Nyewood site to taste the new winter strong beer, then walk along the West Sussex lanes to various local hostelries dispensing Ballards etc.
BEACHY HEAD Brewing Co., Seven Sisters Sheep Centre, Gilberts Drive, East Dean, Eastbourne, BN20 0AA, tel 01323 733603. www.beachyhead.org.uk/brewery Brewer Roger Green, with landowner Charlie Davis-Gilbert, started this brewery in Nov 2006 - mainly for bottled beers to be sold locally. However the Brewery Tap is now the nearby Tiger Inn... and local beer festivals and a few pubs in Eastbourne are supplied with cask ales.
BLACK CAT Brewery, Groombridge 07948 387718. www.blackcat-brewery.com New-ish brewery set up by part-time brewer 'Marcus' and producing Original and Hopsmack. Sussex Drinker may have more...
DARK STAR, 22 Star Road, Partridge Green RH13 8RA tel/fax 01403 713085. www.darkstarbrewing.co.uk Originally set up in the cellar of The Evening Star pub in Brighton, in 1994, by Peter Skinner and Peter Halliday. A year later Rob Jones from Pitfield Brewery in London joined them, adding 'Dark Star' to the range of beers. Peter Skinner left and in July 2001 the brewery moved, first to Moonhill Farm near Ansty to cope with increasing demand. Then in late 2009 they moved to spacious premises in Partridge Green. Their beers are regular prizewinners and American Pale Ale was CAMRA's Champion Golden Beer at Earl's Court, 2009. Four tied houses: Evening Star in Brighton, Stand Up Inn at Lindfield, Duke of Wellington in Shoreham-by-Sea and now The Partridge in Partridge Green.
EDGE BREWING Co. (and Franklins) Pebsham Farm Industrial Estate, Pebsham Lane, Bexhill, East Sussex TN40 2RZ. tel. 01424 73 1066. www.edgebrewing.co.uk www.franklinsbrewery.co.uk They say 'We have changed our name from White's to Edge Brewing Co. We now also have a sister company called Franklins. It is a separate brewery but is run at the same site as Edge. The beer produced by both breweries is selling extremely well and we are currently brewing seven days a week. For this reason we have scaled down our range of beers and are now producing two core beers for Edge Brewing and three for Franklins Brewery'. The Edge ones are Brighton Rocks 4% (pale colour) and a weaker IPA 3.6% Franklins PDF to download
FALLEN ANGEL MICROBREWERY, 14 Carriers Way, East Hoathly, East Sussex BN8 6AG, tel 01825 841307. www.fallenangelbrewery.com Brews mainly for bottling and sells direct to customers at Farmers markets, Food Fairs and the like, locally, and one or two off-licences and farm shops. Established 2005 at John's Cross near Battle, moved 2009 to East Hoathly area, not far from 1648. One feature is the sexy labels, another the unusual range of flavours including hot chilli, apple etc. There's more info on their website, and they sometimes will do casks for a beer festival – that's quite rare though.
FILO BREWERY at the First In Last Out (FILO) pub, High Street, Hastings, East Sussex TN34 3EY, tel 01424 425079. www.thefilo.co.uk You can see the brewery area through a window at the back of the pub, which is in the attractive 'Old Town' of Hastings and has been brewing since 1985. Their beers are difficult to find outside the pub itself, but occasional beer festivals and events are supplied. Logo is a cat on the tiles. First pub you came to and Last when you left the old town, when the High St was main route in and out (some years ago!)
FULL MOON, Sharpes Farm, Henley Down, Catsfield nr Battle TN33 9BN, tel. 07832 220745 Started 2009 - three beers - still not much more info at present (Jan 2011).
FRANKLINS Brewery, see Edge above
GRIBBLE Brewery, Gribble Lane, Oving, near Chichester, West Sussex PO20 2PB, tel 01243 786893. www.gribbleinn.co.uk. Situated round the back of The Gribble Inn and the easiest place to find their beers is usually the Inn, although some beer festivals are supplied. Pub and brewery owned by Simon Wood & Nicola Tester and the brewer is Rob Cooper.
HAMMERPOT Brewery, Unit 30, The Vinery, Poling, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9PY. tel. 01903 883338 www.hammerpot-brewery.co.uk. Set up in April 2005, based in The Vineries just south of the A27 at Poling. They have 2.5 barrel plant - first beer Meteor 3.8% then Red Hunter 4.3% Vinery Mild 2.9%- see website for more.
HASTINGS BREWERY LTD, Unit 12 Conqueror Industrial Estate, Moorhurst Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN28 9NB, tel 01424 205437. www.hastingsbrewery.co.uk A 5.25 barrel brewery is being set up after their move to larger premises. Beers seem to be a Hastings Best, Hastings Blonde and a 4.7% HPA (Hastings Pale or Pirate Ale)
W. J. KING & CO, 3–5 Jubilee Estate, Foundry Lane, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 5UE, tel 01403 272102. www.kingbeer.co.uk Bill King (of King & Barnes) sold the brewery in 2010 to Ian Burgess (for 19 years the number two brewer at Harveys) and Nigel Lambe. They are continuing with the original recepies but slowly introducing some new beers, such as single hop ales and 'Brighton Best' (4%) launched in 2010 as an easy-drinking 'house beer for the Inn Brighton pub group (32 pubs in Brighton).
KISSINGATE Brewery, Lower Beeding but moving to Church Lane Farm Estate to a 6 barrel set-up? (Jan 2012)... tel.07909 975664 or 017909 975664 www.kissingate.co.uk Set up 2010. Brewer Gary Lucas describes his style as 'alternative' but not radical. He likes to use herbs and spices to add character and leaves 'session ales' to the larger brewers. Assisted in the research by his wife Bunny.
KITCHEN GARDEN Brewery, Old Walled Garden, Sheffield Park, East Sussex TN22 3QX. tel. 01825 790775. www.kitchengardenbrewery.co.uk A new (2011) "artisan micro-brewery" in mid-Sussex producing small batches of bottle-conditioned beer which is sold at Sheffield Park. Four beers at present including a 2.5% Ginger Beer.
LANGHAM BREWERY, Langham Stables, Langham Lane, Lodsworth, PETWORTH GU28 9BU, tel 01798 860861. www.langhambrewery.co.uk Started brewing May 2006. Steve Mansley and James Berrow are the owners/brewers of the 10 barrel plant previously used at Wickwar Brewery. First beers were Halfway to Heaven 3.5% and Sundowner 4.2% with Hip Hop 4% winning accolades and awards at local beer festivals (since originally writing this they've won a few more!).
ROTHER VALLEY BREWING CO., Gate Court Farm, Station Road, Northiam, East Sussex, TN31 6QT. tel 01797 252922. Established 1993 on a hop farm near the river that is the Sussex/Kent boundary. Fifty outlets are supplied and special beers brewed to order. They have also ventured into the supermarket trade with a bottled version of their 5% dark beer 'Blues'.
WELTONS, Foundry Lane Industrial Estate, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 5PX. tel 01403 242901, www.weltonsbeer.co.uk Ray Welton has his own small brewery across the railway line from Hepworth's, and supplies local pubs and festivals direct with his ever-changing range of beers, some brewed or badged for special occasions. Brewing around 50 different beers a year and one of his regular beers (Prid'n'joy; 2.8% but very flavoursome for its strength) featured in Roger Protz's best-seller '300 Beers to Try Before You Die' .
WHITE BREWING COMPANY now Edge or Franklins, see above
You might also like to look at Arun & Adur Branch's site for their comments on the same Sussex Breweries or quaffale.org.uk.
If you want a bit of Brewing History (and more) you might like to browse some ancient copies of Sussex Drinker at this URL
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