Independent brewers are stronger together.

The Independent Brewer’s Union Ltd. (IBRU) was formed on 30th June, 2020 as a registered non-profit organisation promote the interests of independent brewing companies in the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond.

Registered in England & Wales, 12735568.

There have been 7 notable buyouts and/or acquisitions by corporate multinational brewing organisations in the UK between 2015 and 2020:

Camden Town Brewery: 100% sold to ABInbev
Fullers: 100% of brewing business sold to Asahi.
Magic Rock: 100% sold to Lion Nathan Beverages via Kirin Ichiban/Mitsubishi
Fourpure: 100% sold to Lion Nathan Beverages via Kirin Ichiban/Mitsubishi
Beavertown Brewery: 49% sold to Heineken N.V.
Brixton Brewery: 49% sold to Heineken N.V.
London Fields Brewery: 100% sold to Carlsberg in joint partnership with Brooklyn Brewery

By these deals, in a span of merely 5 years, >90% of the UK ‘craft beer’ segment has been purchased by operators based outside of the UK. This makes competition increasingly hard for actual independent breweries who do not have access to large purchasing power and/or unproportionately large marketing budgets.

Still operating in the independent brewing market as “local” breweries - consumers are being deceived, and independent breweries are continuing to lose market share at an alarming rate.

The formation of the Independendent Brewer’s Union strives to prevent any further damage to the livelihoods of Independent Breweries’ enterprises, employees and their families.