LONDON FIELDS BREWERY

One of the early new wave breweries to emerge in London a decade ago, London Fields has re-established itself at the vanguard of the capital’s modern beer scene.

As the story goes, in the brewery’s early days during the London Riots of 2011, the owners barricaded themselves into the railway arch to protect their precious new brew kit.

They created a beer called Love Not War, a positive response to the strife that hit East London’s Hackney borough particularly hard. The change came in the guise of Brooklyn Brewery and Carlsberg, who bought the brewery as a joint venture, to see it restored and grow as a stand-alone business.

A core of the London Fields team remained, while newbies brought in came from smaller or craft beer backgrounds, meaning the company would maintain its sense as a small brewery project.

The cutting-edge brew kit was installed to the specifications of London Fields’ new head brewer, Talfryn Provis-Evans, his design not only maximising the space, but allowing his team to create exciting beer. From the moment the Brewery saw its first pint poured in the new-look Taproom, the London Fields team felt like the lifeblood had returned. We created Rice Lagers and Grisettes - dry hopped guava infused sours - as well as smashable session IPAs and a New England IPA slurping with hints of melon, orange and pineapple. Even good old H2O would not escape the team’s creative clutches as highlighted in the Hard Seltzer, a refreshing 5% fizz fermented with Champagne yeast and grape skins, the first Hard Seltzer brewed in London.

This ethos of creativity through adversity has stood the brewery in good stead over the past decade, from its previous status as the hip

Hackney hangout of Hollywood celebs, to ensuing scandals, the ‘big brewer’ takeover, then lockdown where the brewery flipped its entire model within days to become a beer delivery specialist both nationwide and hyper-locally. London Fields has also supported its cultural partners, notably the iconic Roundhouse in Camden, via a fundraising collaboration beer.

“We’re part of the community. It keeps us honest, and we listen to our audience with real attention to detail. The brewers consistently make great beer, our taproom doubles as an off-licence and e-commerce hub, and we keep the brand fun through difficult times,” says Dipak Nayar, CCO of London Fields.

Luke McLean creates the brand’s distinctive psychedelic pop art, seen on can designs, merch and more. The core range artwork, including the bestselling Hackney Hopster pale ale, are inspired by Luke’s last twenty odd years of living in East London. According to Luke, Shoreditch Triangle’s voodoo queen represents the party vibes of the early 2000s. Pretty much anything goes, and once inside the Triangle no-one would hear from you for days. With those frolics overdue a return, you should grab a pint of London Fields and embrace the excitement.

Contacts: Enquiries & events info@londonfieldsbrewery.co.uk Sales sales@londonfieldsbrewery.co.uk www.londonfieldsbrewery.co.uk

...THIS ETHOS OF CREATIVITY THROUGH ADVERSITY HAS STOOD THE BREWERY IN GOOD STEAD OVER THE PAST DECADE...