Lots of us have been realising the importance of shopping local and supporting local businesses, and as we are in Britain what better place to start than with beer.
Let’s look at some research by South Western Railway which reveals the best independent breweries across the UK.
Each independent brewery has been ranked on their average Google review rating, the number of beers they’ve produced and the rating of the top performing beer, according to RateBeer (the international website for craft beer enthusiasts).
The top 15 independent breweries in the UK are:
| Rank | Brewery | Town/City | Google Rating | Number of Beers Brewed | Top Rated Beer |
| 1 | Cloudwater Brew Co. | Manchester | 4.6 | 816 | 5 |
| 2 | Stewart Brewing | Loanhead | 4.8 | 903 | 4.33 |
| 3 | Kernel Brewery | London | 4.6 | 919 | 4.3 |
| 4 | Siren Craft Brew | Wokingham | 4.8 | 578 | 4.25 |
| 5 | Abbeydale Brewery | Sheffield | 4.9 | 518 | 4.3 |
| 6 | Arbor Ales | Bristol | 4.8 | 369 | 4.37 |
| 7 | Bristol Beer Factory | Bristol | 4.8 | 196 | 4.8 |
| 8 | Tempest Brewing Co. | Galashiels | 5 | 182 | 4.6 |
| 9 | New Wharf Brewing Co. | Maidenhead | 5 | 28 | 5 |
| 10 | Powderkeg Brewery | Salterton | 5 | 25 | 5 |
| 11 | XT Brewing Co. | Long Crendon | 5 | 286 | 4.25 |
| 12 | Northern Monk | Leeds | 4.5 | 466 | 4.25 |
| 13 | Wiper and True | Bristol | 4.8 | 235 | 4.55 |
| 14 | Anspach & Hobday | London | 5 | 311 | 4.1 |
| 15 | Rudgate Brewery | York | 5 | 330 | 4 |
Top highlights include:
- The Cloudwater Brew Company in Manchester takes the top spot – they are one of only three to receive 5 out of 5 for a beer on RateBeer (as well as New Warf Brewing Co and Powderkeg Brewer)
- Stewart Brewing places in Loanhead, Scotland, places second with the second largest amount of beer produced (903)
- London’s Kernel Brewery has produced the highest amount of beers in the list (919) and places third
- Of the top-rated beers, six are of stout variety, four are a type of ale and three are a type of IPA
- The average ABV% of the top-rated beers is a strong 7% – the beer with the highest percentage in the research is Manchester’s Cloudwater A Great Many Breaths (12.70%
- From the tasting notes of the beers, seven are described as smooth, four include chocolate flavours and three mention coffee
- While Bristol populates the top 15 with three of these breweries local to this city, it’s actually London that is the best location for independent breweries – the capital produces more beer and is home to more breweries than anywhere else in the UK
