Demand for local beer is rising across the UK – but consumers are struggling to differentiate between genuinely independent homegrown pints and craft beer brands owned by global brewing giants.
In an effort to put that right, the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) has launched the ‘Indie Beer’ mark, which will be used on beer pump-clips, cans and bottle labels to identify beers as being produced by a genuine UK independent brewery.
SIBA’s campaign also includes a new ‘beer checker’ tool via indiebeer.uk which allows people to check who owns the brewery they’re drinking from.
“There is more choice than ever when buying beer, but it can be really hard to know what’s the real deal – so we have launched the Indie Beer checker to make it really quick and simple for people to see whether the beer they’re buying is brewed by a genuine independent brewer or actually owned by a Global beer giant,” said SIBA chief executive, Andy Slee.
“You can also look for the Indie Beer logo when buying beer, which can only be used by genuine independents.”
SIBA’s push for the widespread adoption of that ‘indie’ tag may signal the demise of ‘craft’ as a signifier of local credibility in the beer world.
A key part of SIBA’s argument is newly published YouGov data which found that 75% of people surveyed believe consumers are being misled when purchasing beer from once independent craft breweries, such as Beavertown, Camden, and Fullers, that are now owned by multinationals Heineken, Budweiser and Asahi respectively.
“People want to support smaller independent businesses, but when buying these beers they’re actually spending their money with global beer giants,” said Slee.
“Support for local independent brewers has never been stronger and in 2024 we’ve seen independent brewing volumes return to pre-covid levels. Between them independent brewers employ 10,000 people, run over 2000 pubs bars and taprooms and pay millions in taxes here in the UK.
“They are a force for good in the local communities they represent and it’s essential global beer companies are not taking credit for the hard work of true independent brewers.”
SIBA, which is a not-for-profit trade association – whose members must be British, not owned by another brewer and account for less than 1% of UK beer production – is supported in this new campaign by consumer and industry organisations representing the beer and pub sector, including the Campaign for Real Ale, the British Institute of Innkeepers, and the Independent Family Brewers of Britain.
CAMRA chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: “CAMRA has campaigned for more than 50 years for quality cask beer and thriving pubs in every community. This excellent campaign will help pubgoers make more informed choices at the bar, while supporting our much-loved independent breweries.
“We strongly believe it is vital people know the background to their beer; where it has come from, who has produced it and this is an incredibly effective way for people to find out more, while giving much needed support to local businesses and breweries, while protecting our pubs.”
More than two hundred of SIBA’s member breweries have enrolled in the campaign and will be adding the Indie Beer mark to their bottles, cans, and pub pumpclips, with hundreds more expected to join in the coming months.
There were several early messages of support from the independent brewing sector.
Paul Jones, of Cloudwater Brew Co, said: “Clearly identifying authentic and independent breweries will help consumers make the choices they want to ensure their money stays in their local area, and continues to fund innovation and to build a stronger future for British beer.”
Andy Parker, of Elusive Brewing, said: “Indie Beer is a great initiative to help inform consumers which brands are independently owned. With the branding and marketing lines being increasingly blurred to present global brands as artisan products, looking out for the Indie Beer mark will be a simple but effective way to know you’re buying from an independent business.”
David Glenwright, of Titanic Brewery, said: “Now more than ever, consumers are quite rightly keen to know more about where the food and drink they consume comes from. This scheme doesn’t just help to celebrate the many amazing independent brewers crafting excellent beers across the country, it also helps consumers to understand more about the beers on offer, allowing them to make informed decisions that directly support local businesses and economies.”
Ian Fozard, of Rooster’s Brewing, concluded: “Research shows that most beer drinkers in the UK are unaware that many of the mass marketed craft beer brands are in fact owned by one of the six global brewers. Yet the majority of beer consumers also say that they want to buy beer from genuinely independent local breweries.
“This hard-hitting campaign is designed to redress the balance and help our local independent breweries fight back – I’m proud to support it.”
For more information visit www.indiebeer.uk
