Our Story
The Thornbridge story began back in 2005 when the founders Jim Harrison and Simon Webster recruited two young brewers to brew on a second hand 10-barrel kit in the grounds of Thornbridge Hall
History
Growing Into the Future
Demand for Thornbridge shows no sign of slowing. New tanks at Riverside expand brewing capacity, ensuring the beers the country has fallen in love with can reach even more hands. The Taproom gains a mezzanine and a redesigned shop, bringing even more of the brewery experience to visitors on the doorstep. Meanwhile the Thornbridge & Co family grows with new venues opening in London and Sheffield — taking the beer, the atmosphere and the story to two of Britain's great cities
Twenty Years of Never Ordinary
Two decades in, and the passion for making exceptional beer hasn't dimmed for a moment. A series of special releases marks the milestone — old favourites revisited, bold new collaborations, and record on-trade numbers as pub-goers across the country raise a glass to twenty years of Thornbridge
The last Union
When Carlsberg Marston's retired their historic Burton union system, one of British brewing's great traditions looked lost forever. With a little help from old friend Garrett Oliver, Thornbridge moved fast — acquiring a section of the set and installing it at Riverside by May 2024. We are now the only brewery in the world still operating one. The first beer through it? A union version of Jaipur. What else
SIBA Brewery Business of the Year
Presenting the awards was writer and broadcaster Pete Brown, who commented, “Thornbridge are a superb beer business who impressed judges across the board, winning out with superb entries in some of the awards’ toughest categories. Huge congratulations to the Thornbridge team.”
Dom Driscoll was named Brewer of the Year
Czech Mates
For the first time in their history, Budweiser Budvar brewed a collaboration outside the Czech Republic — and they chose Thornbridge. It's not hard to see why. Czech Mates pairs Budvar's decades-old yeast strain and centuries of Bohemian tradition with Thornbridge's mastery of craft lager — Maris Otter malt, East Kent Goldings hops, and the naturally soft Peak District water that mirrors Budweis itself.
The result is a crisp, aromatic 4.8% Czech-style lager — brewed in Bakewell, but unmistakably rooted in Bohemia
Brewery of the Year
The awards keep rolling in as 2022 was a stellar year for awards here at Thornbridge Brewery as we have won a plethora of business and product awards on a local, national and international level.
This included being voted UK Brewer Of The Year by the International Beer Challenge which is an incredible testament to everybody here at the brewery
Necessary Evil and the Taproom
The new look Taproom opens beside Riverside. A shop, pizza kitchen
and tap wall that brings drinkers closer to where the beer is made. The
original Hall brew kit moves here too, becoming the heart of Thornbridge
Experiences.
Necessary Evil is named the World's Best Flavoured Beer and Best Barrel Aged Beer in the World
Cans, collaborations and champions
Saint Petersburg is crowned CAMRA Champion Bottled Beer of Britain. A brand new canning line arrives at Riverside, opening up a whole new way to enjoy Thornbridge beer.
Firestone Walker cross the Atlantic to create Mind Games together — a bold Saison aged in rare gin barrels that neither brewery could have made alone
A new look and new venues
Time for a fresh chapter. A refined rebrand brings the Thornbridge Hall fireplace scroll to every label — a quieter nod to home.
The first Thornbridge & Co venue opens in York. Green Mountain, a hazy session IPA is released for the first time and immediately finds its audience
Lukas and new horizons
World-class recognition for the barrel ageing programme, and a collaboration with Brooklyn Brewery produces Serpent — a genuinely one-of-a-kind beer.
Lukas, a crisp 4.2% Helles, quietly launches and becomes the house lager of Thornbridge. It's now a fixture across the country.
Ten years of brewing
A decade in, and Thornbridge marks the milestone in style — releasing Jaipur X, a 10% anniversary version of the beer that started it all.
The brewery also becomes shirt sponsor for Sheffield FC, the world's oldest football club. Fitting company.
Celebrating the Peak Districk
Thornbridge launches the Great Peak Weekender — later to become the much-loved Peakender festival — celebrating the landscape that has always inspired the brewery.
The BBC names Thornbridge the UK's Best Drinks Producer at the Food & Farming Awards.
(listen to the clip of the show)
A golden era
The awards keep coming, with world-class recognition for Wild Raven, Tzara and Jaipur on the global stage.
Creativity is in full flow too — a collaboration with Sierra Nevada, a beer made with Reverend and the Makers, and Jaipur earning its place among Britain's finest food and drink.
Roots in the community
Rob Lovatt joins from Meantime Brewing
Thornbridge takes on the struggling Highcliffe pub in Sheffield, transforming it into The Greystones — a beloved neighbourhood local.
Meanwhile, Saint Petersburg sets sail on the Great Baltic Adventure, recreating a historic beer journey across the sea.
Riverside Brewery Opens
A landmark moment. Riverside Brewery opens its doors — a modern 5,000-litre brewhouse formally opened by US brewing legend Garrett Oliver.
A full rebrand follows, tying the new chapter to Thornbridge Hall through the figure of Flora, Roman Goddess, standing proud on every label
Growing Pains
Thornbridge is barely two years old and already the brewery is straining at the seams. Demand is outgrowing the Hall kit, and change is on the horizon.
Martin Dickie departs to co-found BrewDog, yet the passion, innovation and knowledge within Thornbridge never misses a beat.
The Brewers arrive and the brewing starts
Martin Dickie and Stafano Cossi join as the first brewers. Their first beer, Lord Marples sets the tone, and they quickly follow it with something that would change everything.
An IPA called Jaipur catches fire at festivals up and down the country. Jaipur doesn't just put Thornbridge on the map, it rewrites it.
The Brewery Opens
Dave Wickett plants a seed of an idea. What if there was a brewery in the grounds of Thornbridge Hall? Jim Harrison and Simon Webster say yes
About Us
The brewery was originally based in the outbuildings of Thornbridge Hall, surrounded by beautiful gardens within the 100-acre estate. The buildings were renovated in 2004 in preparation for the brewery installation. Jim Harrison and Simon Webster recruited two young brewers, keen to kick-start their brewing career. Their first brew was Lord Marples, a 4% classic bitter, which went on to become a core Thornbridge beer
Next, they were tasked with brewing something a little different, an IPA which packed a punch in terms of both flavour and ABV. In mid-2005 Jaipur was born. A 5.9% IPA packed with American hops and like nothing else in the beer industry at that time. Following an array of awards and national recognition, Jaipur catapulted Thornbridge into the spotlight, demand outstripped supply and the need for a new Brewery became clear.
In 2009 a brand new state of the art brewery was built at Riverside, Bakewell to meet with demand and allow Thornbridge to develop their range of beers. Brewing still takes place today on the original kit which has been moved to beside the Taproom at Riverside, which allows us to experiment with new brews, create bespoke Hall brews, collaborations and assist the main brewery in Bakewell.
Worldwide
Thornbridge beer begins to appear nationwide and export trade develops; initially to Italy but now over 35 countries worldwide including our recent addition of Brazil which opens up potential for trade in other South American countries.
The increase in trade both at home and abroad has led to 3 expansions in the following decade
