Northumberland's First & Last Brewery Wins National Success for Unique Foraged Spruce Beer at the SIBA Indie Beer Awards 2026
- Guild Secretary
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
The brewery’s latest pair of award wins prove that the most exciting flavours in the UK independent beer scene may be found in the flora of Northumberland. For this family-run team, taking home National Silver for their foraged Spruce Saison is a win for the small breweries making a difference in their local communities.
The First & Last Brewery, a small independent craft brewery located in Bellingham in rural Northumberland, has been awarded the Silver Overall Champion of Bottle/Can Beer at the prestigious SIBA National Indie Beer Awards 2026.
The award-winning beer, Spruce, was selected from hundreds of entries across the UK, and also won Gold in the Bottle/Can Continental Style category. Brewed using hand-picked spruce tips foraged from the local Northumberland landscape, the award win marks a significant milestone for the brewery as they celebrate their 10th year in business.
"These foraged beers are something that I get great pleasure from creating," says Red Kellie, Head Brewer and Co-owner. "I love being outdoors, soaking up the wildness of the Northumberland landscape. It’s about being close to nature and taking the time to select the freshest ingredients, then finding the beer style that best communicates those flavours."
Exploring the Local Landscape
The brewery has made foraging a cornerstone of its identity, a shift inspired by the slower pace of the 2020 lockdowns. By reconnecting with their homebrewing and country wine-making roots, the team began experimenting with the fruits and flowers of the local countryside.
"I love that these beers are made with Northumberland," adds Sam Kellie, Brewery Co-owner. "They encourage creativity and demand patience as we wait for the seasons to change. They offer a true taste of our region and link our brewery directly into the wider landscape."
Because the ingredients are sourced locally, the flavour profiles of these beers evolve annually, dictated by the sunlight and rainfall of the growing season. This approach reduces environmental impact and celebrates the unpredictability of the natural world - a philosophy that has now clearly resonated with the national SIBA judging panel.
The Award-Winning Taste of Northumberland
Spruce is a dry, crisp, and gently spicy 4.6% wheat saison, designed to be highly refreshing. Bright lemon zest aromas and subtle pine notes offer a distinctive bite to this thirst-quenching beer, which is brewed using only the freshest hand-foraged spruce tips.
As part of the brewery’s Made with Northumberland range, Spruce celebrates the beautiful, untamed land where the First & Last team lives and works. Like all beers in this speciality series, it is vegan-friendly and brewed exclusively with locally sourced and foraged ingredients, capturing a unique snapshot of the area. It will be brewed again in May, when the spruce tips are next in season.
To discover the range of Made with Northumberland beers currently available (including Damson Porter, Honey Amber, and Plum Belgian Ale), please visit the First & Last webshop.
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Notes to Editors
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About The First & Last Brewery:
Located in Bellingham, in the heart of rural Northumberland, The First & Last Brewery is a family-owned champion of independent craft beer. Since 2016, owners Red and Sam Kellie have brewed small-batch beers inspired by the wild, untamed landscape and dark skies of their North East home.
Winners of the National SIBA Indie Beer Awards 2026 Silver Overall Champion (Bottle/Can) for their foraged Spruce Saison, the microbrewery produces a wide range of beer styles in cask, keg, bottle, and can. They also support terroir-led brewing with their seasonal specials that use locally sourced, foraged ingredients. Whether in their village taproom or through their innovative "10 Beers for 10 Years" project for 2026, First & Last remains committed to quality, community, and a true taste of Northumberland.
Website: www.firstandlastbrewery.co.uk
Socials: @firstandlastbrewery
Contact: For all media enquiries, please contact press@tipplemarketing.com
Third-party news items are published as received for informational purposes. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Guild. Please use the contact details within the post for any enquiries.
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