London -
A growing l thirst for “craft” beers has prompted a surge in the number of new breweries opening in London, new figures show.
Thirty six new breweries opened in the capital last year, a new record high and a 24 percent increase on the 29 that opened in 2014 according to the accountancy group UHY Hacker Young.
The rest of England saw a slowdown in the number of new breweries opening in 2015, with launches easing to 249 from 278 in 2014. But despite the national decline the total number of breweries in the UK stands close to an 80 year high at 1,424 according to the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). The organisation also says that Britain now has more breweries per head than any other country in the world.
And craft micro-breweries - which make flavoursome ales and lagers from “natural” ingredients on a relatively small scale -are at the vanguard of that trend. “Craft beer has quickly become the drink of choice for pub-goers - especially in London which has cemented its position at the centre of the UK's craft beer industry” said James Simmonds a partner at UHY.
“It's not surprising that London has such a large amount of new microbreweries, with the high numbers of young professionals working within the City.
“Because craft beer is viewed as a luxury good, customers are prepared to pay a higher price in comparison to other more commercially branded beers”.
Craft beers were originally associated with “hipster” parts of London such as Shoreditch and Hackney but their appeal has now spread across the capital and also further afield in the UK.
The Independent