Big Interview: The brewery shining a light on Brixton

The Brixton Brewery co-founder says he was one half of a couple that bonded with another over newborn babies 10 years ago that led to the formation of a brewery under a railway arch because “every great neighbourhood deserves a brewery”.

Galaun says: “We started with the mission of putting Brixton on the map for great beer and we see the brewery as a love letter to the area. The beers and the brand are inspired by the place where the brewery was born and we want to share that with as many people as possible.”

The brewery took investment from Heineken about five years ago and moved fully into its stable by 2021. With the giant on board, Brixton Brewery moved its main brewing production to new premises – still in Brixton – and its former site is now a taproom with eight draught lines serving its core range and rotational specials that are brewed next door within the original location with a new brewing kit.

In fact, the brewing equipment has been used to make a coffee stout beer in collaboration with Origin Coffee Roasters, which has a London site but its roastery is in Porthleven, Cornwall. “We brew sour beers there too and are looking to do experimental beers,” adds Galaun. “Our core beers are made at our main brewery.”

About 85% of its craft beer output is through kegged products for the on-trade such as its core Coldharbour Lager at 4.4% ABV and Reliance Pale Ale at 4.2% ABV. “They both have a fantastic appeal. When we create beers, we’re always seeking balance.

“We try to make beers that are flavourful but have a broad appeal as well. We’ve got hoppier beers such as Atlantic American Pale Ale (5.4% ABV), Low Voltage Session IPA (4.3% ABV) and Electric IPA (6% ABV) but the two most popular in the on-trade are Coldharbour and Reliance.”

Brixton’s on-trade sales are UK-wide and varied. Most customers are in the independent free trade but these numbers are complemented with listings at some Star Pubs & Bars sites and “a few nationals and regionals”, giving the brewery a “broad and diverse customer base”.

If you’ve got a strong brand and you’ve got a high-quality product, there’s always a place for you in the market.”

Spreading the word

Galaun says the brewery takes inspiration from “local places and architecture” and there are plenty of on-trade outlets in Brixton that sells its beers.

“Our focus at the moment is making our beers available in more pubs around the country,” Galaun says. “We did some research at the beginning of the year and found the Brixton brand has very broad appeal all over the UK. We obviously started in south London and are radiating out from there. We know the values Brixton represents has very broad appeal as well and that’s what we’re looking to celebrate with the Get A Taste of Brixton​ campaign.

This autumn, Brixton Brewery is looking to support the on-trade with an initiative to help pubs, which also has a competition.

The area of south London is known for its diverse food scene and the Get A Taste of Brixton​ drive is Brixton’s way of sharing recipes from Brixton Market and offering beer and food pairings to help pubs upsell and make the most of consumer demand for more premium experiences when dining out.

The competition​ will offer the chance for one operator to win a food and beer pairing experience for their customers with a Brixton Brewery ambassador. The winning pub will also get £200 worth of free Brixton Brewery stock, including kegs of best-selling beers, Coldharbour Lager and Reliance Pale Ale, and a mixed case of cans.

Local restaurants partnering Brixton Brewery include OKAN (Japanese street food), Baba G’s (Indian burgers) and Caribbean restaurant Fish, Wings & Tings.

Galaun says: “We see this competition as a great opportunity for pub owners to try something different and, ultimately, help them entice people out of their homes and into the on-trade, driving increased footfall. Brixton has always been a welcoming home to migrants and outsiders where music, arts, culture, and food mix – resulting in one of the most dynamic food scenes in London. We are always looking for opportunities to bring people together to share in the flavour of Brixton, wherever they are.”

And it is restaurants that have been an important factor in establishing Brixton Brewery. Galaun explains beer would be delivered on foot to restaurants in Brixton village because they were the first customers. This has forged strong local links and become places where they have now have the chance to take recipes from for the initiative.

Although the brewery has made a cask beer with some pubs as a special, it has now sold its cask washer and concentrates fully on craft beer. Galaun says the category is still seeing strong growth, which is obviously encouraging. Brixton Brewery says it is the third biggest craft brewery by value sales in London with its Reliance variant being the fastest selling craft beer in Star Pubs & Bars’ licensed and tenanted estate – and it has seen 180% growth since 2021.

He says: “If you’ve got a strong brand and you’ve got a high-quality product, there’s always a place for you in the market. Drinkers are adding craft more and more to their repertoire, more people are trying craft and that’s why you see the market share going up.

“In terms of a consumer’s perspective, craft is as exciting as it’s ever been. More people are discovering the kinds of beers we produce, which we call ‘modern classics with a Brixton twist’. They’re familiar styles and they’re exciting consumers. People are trading up to the kind of beers we produce.”

He adds people will choose Brixton’s beers because “we’re a recognisable and trusted brand. The branding is ‘stand-out’, it’s exciting, it’s colourful, it tells a story of where the beers are inspired from and our story is relatable as well as being from humble beginnings.

“Brixton, you know, has this amazing energy and uniqueness that you feel as you pop out of the tube station. It’s like nowhere else. It’s unique, but as I said, it’s the values that Brixton represents that makes it special and people can really relate to those.”

It’s all about exciting consumers with the brand and obviously high-quality, consistent products that they trust – that’s what craft is focusing on now.”

Classics key to kegged craft

What does Galaun think the future holds for the craft category?

“We’ve always tried to brew modern classics and that’s what you are seeing from other craft brewers as well. Hoppy beers are popular, as are hazy beers, but things like lager are becoming more widely brewed, I would say. It’s just about making modern interpretations of classic styles and that is going to stand craft in good stead.”

He also believes there is a reason why the varieties of IPA, including its variants such as West Coast and New England, remain popular and says: “People ask me ‘what's the next IPA?’ And I think it’s IPA! It’s all about exciting consumers with the brand and obviously high-quality, consistent products that they trust – that’s what craft is focusing on now.”

Although Brixton Brewery does not produce beer for the cask market any longer, Galaun says perceived differences such as age differences between cask and kegged beer markets are untrue. He explains: “If you go to a beer festival then maybe there are different audiences but, in the pub, certainly based on my observations, there are people from all different age groups.

“We actually love to celebrate and promote diversity across age groups and all sorts of things. We did a campaign with Age UK Lambeth and released a beer called Generation Pale Ale and, in our taproom, we have a very diverse crowd even though we don’t serve cask. In terms of my own repertoire, I love cask and keg equally to be honest.”

The beauty of the south London may not be clear for all to see but you put the varieties of of food, beer and the community together, it’s plain to see there is something special there.