NEWS

Just a quick note on the next Certified Cider Guide Workshop in the UK: Hop Inn, Hornchurch 22nd June 2026. The Certified Cider Guide qualification is perfect for anyone working within the drinks industry, in hospitality or retail, or who is simply a passionate enthusiast and wishes to learn more about cider's key fundamentals. The topics covered include: • Apples, Pears and Orchards • Cider Production • Families and Flavor • Evaluating Cider • Keeping and Serving • Cider and

The award-winning Brussels café zine Pintjes is back for its fourth edition, with a pre-match launch event and panel chat on Sunday 24 May at Dekkera in Forest, ahead of the Brussels derby. With the Belgian season reaching its climax this weekend with the Brussels derby, and Royal Union Saint-Gilloise having recently confirmed their position as the city's premier club with their win in the 2026 Croky Cup, Brussels café zine PINTJES is going all-in on football for its latest e

Thiol biotransformation is a key focus in hop-forward brewing. Yet, chasing thiol yield alone can lead to unintended trade-offs in your final beer. Join us for this webinar, where we take a step back and look at thiols in context, exploring how fermentation conditions and yeast choices shape thiol release and the overall balance of your beer. For this session, we welcome special guests: Dr. Cécile Chenot, postdoctoral researcher at the Shellhammer Lab, and Dr. Thomas Shellham

Please find below the British Beer and Pub Association's response to the HMT announcement regarding a temporary VAT discount for children's meals. Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: "We want to keep a trip to the pub affordable, and this move will mean more families can gather together, enjoy a meal out, and support their local. "When you help out business, you can help out the customer, which is why we urgently need VAT to be permanently lower

FyneFest x Indie Beer Scotland's biggest beer and music festival is this year joining forces with 'Indie Beer', a UK-wide campaign pushing back against Global 'craft beer' and helping beer drinkers find genuine independent breweries. FyneFest is an award-winning, family-friendly beer, food and music festival taking place on the 29th to 31st May in the stunning surroundings of Glen Fyne, and will this year only feature the very best beer from indie producers in a wide variety

Honeycomb Houses Team Fundraising Matched By Company Donation A two-day marathon sponsored walk through the Cotswolds by charity fundraisers from pub operator Brakspear's Honeycomb Houses managed division has raised £5000 to help tackle Motor Neurone Disease (MND). With the four-person team's own fundraising efforts being matched pound-for-pound by the Brakspear Giving Back programme, the money will be donated to the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Led by Karl Solomon, gen

Surrey based Hogs Back Brewery hosted its now traditional finish of the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride (DGR) on Sunday 17th May, bringing to a close a record-breaking weekend. 1,402 riders registered for the 35-mile Surrey Hills ride, making it the largest in the UK, Europe and North America, and tying equal second globally with Hyderabad, behind leader's Buenos Aires. The ride has raised a staggering £107,000 to date, propelling it up the global fundraising leaderboard to it

Popular community pub the Valiant Sailor on New Dover Road in Folkestone will officially reopen on Sunday 24th May following a phenomenal combined investment of £208,695 from experienced licensee Mark Smith and Admiral Taverns, the UK's leading community pub company. This refurbishment will breathe a new lease of life into the Valiant Sailor to elevate and modernise the overall look and feel of the pub, whilst still retaining its original characterful features and classic nau

One of Hertfordshire's best-selling ales has been served at Strangers' Bar in the Houses of Parliament, with MPs raising glasses to the local brew. Side Pocket for a Toad, Tring Brewery's flagship beer, was nominated through the parliamentary Guest Beer initiative by Victoria Collins, MP for Harpenden and Berkhamsted. As part of the nomination, Tring Brewery beer sommelier Jared Ward was invited to Parliament for a tour of Westminster, and a tipple of 'Toad' at Strangers' Bar

Hazy Grapefruit Lager Second Launch of 10th Anniversary Year Nirvana Brewery, the alcohol-free pioneer, has bolstered its fruit-forward line-up with Hazy Grapefruit Lager (0.3% ABV), which lines up alongside its highly successful Cloudy Lemon Lager. Its launch coincides with a major surge in popularity for fruit-led beers across all segments of the market. In fact, fruit-flavoured lager sales have climbed by 52.2% YOY in the four weeks leading up to April 18th, 2026 (source:

A sharp rise is inflation is inevitable as a result of the fuel crisis driven by the conflict in Iran and the wider Middle East, warns hospitality purchasing specialist Lynx Purchasing. “The upcoming spike in inflation is like an oncoming storm,” says Lynx Purchasing managing director Rachel Dobson. “It’s clearly visible on the horizon and is getting closer all the time, but no one can say exactly when it’s going to hit. “The Bank of England is predicting a peak in inflation

The Rose & Crown, located in Westhoughton in Bolton is set to officially reopen on Thursday 21st May following a transformational investment of £275,000. The pub is part of Proper Pubs, the award-winning community wet-led operator division of Admiral Taverns, which operates more than 200 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales. Behind the bar is passionate community hero, Ray Lester, who brings over a decade of experience to The Rose & Crown. His expertise, combined with his

Elusive Brewing is celebrating an important milestone this month as it marks 10 years of brewing. To celebrate a decade of helping to put Berkshire beer on the national map, the five-person team is inviting the local community to step behind the scenes and visit its onsite taproom, culminating in a free entry 10th birthday party on Saturday 30th May. Since its first brew in 2016, Elusive Brewing has quietly built a reputation as one of the UK’s finest small independent brewer

Cambridge Beer Festival unveils the winner of CAMRA's world famous cask beer competition. Independence (ABV 4.6%), a premium pale ale by Bristol Beer Factory, has been crowned CAMRA's Champion Beer of Britain 2026 at the Cambridge Beer Festival. Fending off competitors from across the UK, the country's best beers have been whittled down from 12 fantastic finalists to one supreme champion by an expert judging panel. The Champion Beer of Britain is the highest honour CAMRA can

Bedford, May 2026 – Damm UK, the British arm of Barcelona-based independent family brewer S.A. Damm, and owner of the Estrella Damm brand, has agreed to acquire the Old Speckled Hen family of beer brands from Greene King. The award-winning family of brands includes Old Speckled Hen, Old Golden Hen, Old Crafty Hen, Old Master Hen and Low Alcohol Old Speckled Hen. During the transition process the Old Speckled Hen brands will continue to be brewed at Greene King’s Westgate Brew

Tuesday, 19 May 2026 – Greene King, the UK’s leading pub company and brewer, today announces that it has agreed to sell the Old Speckled Hen (OSH) family of beer brands to Damm UK, owner of Estrella Damm, the family-owned Spanish brewing business with operations in Bedford, UK. Greene King acquired OSH in 1999 from Morland and has grown it into one of the nation’s favourite ales. The Company has found a new partner for the brand in Damm to support OSH’s future growth. The awa

• Greene King to focus on selling its beers in its own pubs and UK on trade; moving away from the off trade • Strengthens the link between Greene King’s own 2,500 pubs and its much-loved beers • As part of the ongoing focus on pubs, Greene King to sell Old Speckled Hen family of beers to Damm UK • Proposed strategy to be introduced in June 2027 with opening of new £40m state-of-the-art brewery in Bury St Edmunds Tuesday, 19 May 2026 – Greene King, the UK’s leading pub company

The team behind Faber, The Somers Town Coffee House, Above and The Victoria is now entering its 20th year and is marking the milestone with the opening of a new characterful and community-led pub later this summer, The Tallyman. Located in a prominent position on Chancellor Passage in Canary Wharf, The Tallyman has been designed as a proper East London destination for the docklands, drawing on the area's industrial past and rich dockland heritage. Taking its name from the tal

Nuremberg, May 12, 2026. Non-alcoholic beers are experiencing strong global growth. Health-conscious lifestyles, particularly among younger generations, along with a growing desire for moderate alcohol consumption have given demand a significant boost. What was once a niche category has evolved into a relevant and dynamic segment of the international beverage market. As this beer style gains popularity, consumer expectations regarding quality are rising accordingly. Drinkers

Hogs Back Brewery celebrated its annual Hop Blessing ceremony from its Tongham home, in the heart of the traditional hop growing region of Surrey, last week. In days of yore, Ascension Day, which fell on 14th May this year, was the customary date to offer up a prayer for a bountiful harvest. A spectacular thunder and lightning display with heavy rain just minutes before the ceremony did not deter around 130 guests from gathering in the hop garden to enjoy the ceremony, which