Top 10 Breweries in London
London had more breweries in the nineteenth century than any other city in the world. By the 1980s that number had contracted to almost nothing — the consolidations, acquisitions, and closures of the twentieth century had reduced London brewing to a handful of surviving regional producers. The revival that began around 2010, centered on industrial railway arches in Bermondsey and the post-industrial spaces of north London, has restored the city to a position of genuine brewing significance. The Bermondsey Beer Mile — a Saturday-only pilgrimage route under the railway arches of London Bridge — became one of the defining craft beer experiences in Europe.
1. The Kernel Brewery, Bermondsey
The Kernel was founded in 2009 by Evin O'Riordain, a former cheesemonger who learned to brew while working for Brooklyn Brewery in New York. It was among the first Bermondsey arches breweries and has remained the most critically acclaimed — a position maintained by refusing to scale faster than quality allows, varying the hop bill on every batch of a given beer, and maintaining the scrappily artisanal character of the original operation. The Export Stout London 1890, Table Beer, and the series of pale ales and IPAs named only by hop variety are the benchmarks. The Kernel does not have a taproom — it operates Saturday bottleshop sales from the arch. This is a feature, not a bug: it ensures that the beer is consumed fresh and by people who sought it out.
2. Beavertown Brewery, Tottenham
Beavertown was founded in 2011 by Logan Plant (son of Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant) in a Duke's Brew & Que restaurant in De Beauvoir Town before relocating to Tottenham. The distinctive skull-and-tentacle brand imagery became one of British craft's most recognized visual identities, and the Gamma Ray American Pale Ale and Neck Oil Session IPA became two of the UK's best-selling craft beers. Beavertown was partially acquired by Heineken in 2018 before a full takeover; the quality and consistency have been maintained. The Tottenham Brewery and adjacent Beaverworld taproom are among north London's significant craft beer destinations.
3. Cloudwater Brew Co (London Taproom)
Cloudwater is Manchester-based but operates a significant London taproom in Hackney that serves as a distribution and discovery point for one of the UK's most influential craft breweries. The taproom's role in the London craft scene — hosting collaborations, releasing limited editions, and serving Cloudwater's consistently excellent New England IPAs and saisons — makes it essential to any London craft beer itinerary.
4. Pressure Drop Brewing, Tottenham and Hackney
Pressure Drop has built a reputation for consistent quality across a wide stylistic range — from the Pale Fire pale ale to the Push the Boat Out imperial stout. Founded in Hackney and now operating from Tottenham with a taproom, Pressure Drop represents the thoughtful, technically serious wing of the London craft scene. The collaboration beers with other UK and international breweries have been particularly well received.
5. Five Points Brewing Company, Hackney
Five Points was founded in 2013 in Hackney and has grown to become one of East London's largest independent craft operations. The Five Points Pale, Pils, and Railway Porter are the core range; the XPA (Extra Pale Ale) and Hook Island Red are the more distinctive products. Five Points became the UK's largest worker-owned brewery in 2021, a structural decision that reflects the cooperative ethos common to East London's independent business culture.
6. Camden Town Brewery, Camden
Camden Town was founded in a railway arch beneath the Hawley Arms pub in 2010 and quickly developed a reputation for clean, technically excellent lagers and pale ales — the Hells Lager became one of the UK's most celebrated modern lager products. A 2015 acquisition by AB InBev ended Camden's independent status and generated significant controversy. The Hells quality has been maintained in the Kentish Town production facility that replaced the original arch, but the independent creative spirit is reasonably questioned.
7. Anspach & Hobday, Bermondsey
Anspach & Hobday is one of the Bermondsey Beer Mile's original arch tenants, producing a range of beers that draws strongly on London's own brewing history — the London Black (a porter), London Sour, and the Smoked Brown reference pre-industrial London brewing traditions that were largely erased by twentieth-century consolidation. The historical research behind the recipes is genuine and distinguishes A&H from breweries with vaguer heritage claims.
8. Brick Brewery, Peckham
Brick Brewery operates from Peckham's railway arches and has become one of South London's most significant independent producers. The Peckham Pale and Brick Lager are the accessible flagships; the seasonal and limited releases — Saison, specialty stouts, and IPAs — demonstrate the full range. Brick's community relationship with Peckham is strong, positioning it as a neighborhood brewery as much as a craft beer destination.
9. Wild Card Brewery, Walthamstow
Wild Card operates from the Ravenswood Industrial Estate in Walthamstow and has built a loyal following in northeast London for its range of approachable ales and occasional experimental releases. The brewery tap at the estate has become a fixture of Walthamstow's independent business scene.
10. Fourpure Brewing Co, Bermondsey
Fourpure occupies a large arch space in Bermondsey and produces a high-volume range of accessible craft beers — Session IPA, Pils, American Pale Ale — that have wide distribution across UK grocery and convenience retail. Fourpure was acquired by Lion Little World Beverages in 2018. The scale and distribution infrastructure make Fourpure more visible nationally than many of the higher-quality smaller producers.
Explore on the map
London's craft breweries concentrate under the Bermondsey and Peckham railway arches and in north London's former industrial spaces. Open the map to plot the Bermondsey Beer Mile route and find the opening hours — most operate Saturday bottle shops and taprooms from mid-morning.