Number of London Breweries dips below 100 as Hackney Brewery shuts
Following the closure of its taproom on the Walthamstow Beer Mile at the end of March, Hackney Brewery has now announced its closure after 14 years
No reason is given but there have been exchanges between the brewery and its landlord Waltham Forest Council where financial difficulties over an extended period were clearly an issue.
It’s a pity not least because Hackney brewed some decent beers down the years.
If Beer Guide London’s figures are accurate (and I am certain they are) this takes the number of active London Breweries to under a hundred (99 in fact) for the first time in a while.
The Walthamstow Beer Mile is looking a bit shorter after Wild Card (opposite Hackney) closed in the autumn of 2024 again following financial difficulties.
In Mid-March Beerblefish also closed. The current issue of CAMRA’s London Drinker has a detailed piece by Christine Cryne looking at the reasons, which perhaps can be summed up by ‘it wasn’t much fun anymore’
It can all seem a bit gloomy but in reality as often the picture is mixed. Queer Brewing have just opened their own brewery and tap at Lea Bridge, while the owners of the Cock E8 and the Southampton Arms NW5 have just opened a new pub, the Pocket, off Upper St N1 (Highbury Corner end)
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