Britain lost 100 breweries last year, says ‘indie beer’ trade body

People drinking at a street food market in London. Buy-outs of smaller brewers by private equity groups and big drinks companies are making things hard for independent producers. Photograph: Kathy deWitt/Alamy

The number of independent breweries in Britain declined at its fastest rate in 2024, figures from the “indie beer” trade body suggest.

The UK had 1,715 breweries at the end of 2024, 100 fewer than at the start of the year, according to the data released by Siba, which represents independent brewing companies. The overall fall the previous year was just eight.