Signature Brew
Signature Brew is a London-based craft brewery founded in 2011 that produces music-artist collaboration beers and operates two live music brewery-venues, serving music fans, independent venues, and major UK retailers ASDA and Waitrose, with exports to the USA, Sweden, Finland, and Italy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Signature Brew does
Signature Brew is a privately-held UK craft brewery founded in 2011 in East London by Tom Bott and Sam McGregor, operating what it describes as 'London's largest independent brewery' from its Blackhorse Road facility (Unit 15, Uplands Business Park, London E17 5QJ), alongside a second brewery-owned music venue in Haggerston. Its core product is music-artist collaboration craft beer, with a self-attributed claim of having collaborated with more musicians than any other brewery globally — a roster spanning the Libertines, Alt-J, Hot Chip, Mastodon, IDLES, Enter Shikari, Mogwai, Frank Turner, Pearl Jam, Travis, Hak Baker, Sports Team, the Oasis 30th-anniversary project, and 40+ other acts across indie, punk, metal, electronic, and pop. The four core beers — Roadie IPA, Studio Lager, Backstage IPA, and Haze Machine — are all Great Taste certified, with Roadie IPA priced from £13.50 (330ml) and Haze Machine from £16.50 (440ml). The business also operates a proprietary low/no-alcohol brewing process (the Lo-Fi glycerol technique, the first commercial use of glycerol in this category globally, addressing clarity, head retention, shelf life, and sweetness balance) and runs a mobile loyalty app with venue check-ins.
The revenue model is multi-channel and intentionally diversified: (1) direct-to-consumer e-commerce via the Signature Brew webstore with UK home delivery and a Pub In A Box gift product (£32.95, 10,000+ customers); (2) on-site sales at two brewery-venue spaces serving beer, food, and live music events (gigs, comedy, festivals); (3) wholesale on-trade draught and can supply to independent music venues nationwide, including an exclusive draught partnership with Rough Trade across three UK cities; (4) retail listings in ASDA (Roadie IPA nationwide from 2025) and Waitrose (Do It Right regenerative lager exclusively from 2026); (5) festival activations at Truck, Slam Dunk, Bigfoot, Manchester Punk Fest, Brick Lane Jazz, Dialled In, and Wembley Arena; and (6) international export to the USA, Sweden, Finland, and Italy. Pricing is uniformly unit-based with publicly disclosed price points, no subscription contract economics, and ancillary merchandise revenue.
Signature Brew serves four distinct customer segments: music enthusiasts and live event-goers aged 18–45 (primary), musicians/bands seeking brand partnerships and touring-rider products, independent music venues and record stores seeking differentiated on-trade offerings, and broader craft beer consumers reached via retail and gifting. The company has raised approximately £1M+ cumulatively across three equity crowdfunding rounds (2015, 2018, October 2023), is headquartered in London under the legal entity Signature Brew Ltd, and remains independently owned by its founders with no disclosed institutional VC or PE backing. Recognition includes SIBA Brewery Business of the Year (2018, 2021) and SIBA Marketing Award (2021), with consistent coverage in Forbes, The Guardian, GQ, NME, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Kerrang!.
Signature Brew firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Signature Brew
- Legal name
- Signature Brew Ltd
- Website
- https://signaturebrew.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Signature Brew is a London-based craft brewery founded in 2011 that produces music-artist collaboration beers and operates two live music brewery-venues, serving music fans, independent venues, and major UK retailers ASDA and Waitrose, with exports to the USA, Sweden, Finland, and Italy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Signature Brew industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer
- NAICS
- Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC)
Keywords
Where Signature Brew is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Signature Brew business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer Beer & Merch Sales: E-commerce webstore selling core beers, collaboration beers, and merchandise directly to UK consumers with home delivery. Also includes Pub In A Box gift product shipped nationwide.
- On-site Venue Sales: Two operational venues (Blackhorse Road and Haggerston) serving beer and food directly to walk-in customers. Venues double as live music stages generating ticket revenue and drink sales.
- Wholesale / On-Trade Distribution: Draught and canned beer sold wholesale to independent music venues, festivals, and events across the UK. Key on-trade accounts include Rough Trade stores (exclusive draught partnership), and retail listings in ASDA and Waitrose.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Core beer range: Roadie IPA from £13.50 (330ml); Studio Lager, Haze Machine, Lo-Fi from £10.00 to £16.50 (440ml) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pub In A Box: £32.95 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Orange Amps Backstage IPA: £20.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Groove Armada x Wildfarmed 'Do It Right': £14.50 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sports Team Long Hot Summer Lager: £3.80 per single can |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mogwai Beer Satan 330ml cans: £2.60 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels7 records
Signature Brew product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Signature Brew brews and sells award-winning craft beers co-created with musicians, operating London's largest independent brewery from a state-of-the-art facility in East London. The company runs two integrated brewery-venues (Blackhorse Road and Haggerston) that double as live music stages, and distributes its core range, artist collaboration beers, and merchandise through a direct e-commerce webstore, wholesale partnerships with independent music venues, an exclusive draught deal with Rough Trade, and major UK supermarket listings at ASDA and Waitrose. It also produces the Pub In A Box gift product and exports to the USA, Sweden, Finland, and Italy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Signature Brew App: Mobile application for loyalty rewards, venue check-ins, and exclusive discounts.
Products and services
- Roadie IPA Core 5.2% Modern IPA, available in 330ml cans and 440ml Session 4.3% cans, sold via webstore, supermarket listings, and on-trade venues.
- Studio Lager Core craft lager in 440ml cans, available via webstore and on-trade venues.
- Haze Machine Fourth core beer, a hazy craft beer at 440ml priced from £16.50; holds a Great Taste star.
- Backstage IPA (Orange Amps collaboration) 5.2% Modern IPA turned charity collaboration with Orange Amplifiers; 100% of profits donated to support grassroots touring musicians, available in 6/12/24 packs and on draught at independent music venues.
- Lo-Fi Alcohol-Free Beer Alcohol-free craft beer brewed using a proprietary glycerol technique; 440ml cans from £10.00, suitable for vegans.
- Pub In A Box Gift box featuring Signature Brew craft beers, glassware, snacks, music quiz, and curated playlists; priced at £32.95 with over 10,000 customers served nationwide.
- Do It Right Regenerative Lager (Groove Armada x Wildfarmed) Regeneratively farmed Czech-style pale lager priced at £14.50, brewed with barley from Wildfarmed growers; exclusively stocked in Waitrose stores nationwide.
- Mogwai 'Beer Satan' New England Pale Ale Limited-edition collaboration beer with band Mogwai, sold as 330ml cans via the Signature Brew webstore.
- Sports Team Long Hot Summer Lager Limited-edition single-can collaboration beer with band Sports Team.
- Blackhorse Road Brewery-Venue State-of-the-art brewery and taproom at Unit 15, Uplands Business Park, Blackhorse Lane, London E17 5QJ; London's largest independent brewery with food service and live music programming.
- Haggerston Brewery-Venue
Quantifiable outcome
- SIBA Brewery of the Year Award won twice (2018 & 2021) — unprecedented second win
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Signature Brew
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Signature Brew technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Signature Brew partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WildfarmedcoreThree-way collaboration: Signature Brew, Wildfarmed (regenerative farming group), and Groove Armada to launch 'Do It Right' regeneratively farmed Czech-style pale lager. Barley sourced from Wildfarmed's network of growers established by Groove Armada member Andy Cato. Wildfarmed supports biodiversity, better soil health, cleaner rivers, and carbon reduction. Beer exclusively stocked in Waitrose nationwide.
- Groove ArmadacoreThree-way collaboration: Groove Armada, Wildfarmed, and Signature Brew launched 'Do It Right' regeneratively farmed lager exclusively in Waitrose. Groove Armada member Andy Cato founded Wildfarmed. Described by Signature Brew co-founder as one of the brewery's most meaningful partnerships, uniting live music culture with environmental restoration through farming.
- Orange AmplifierscoreSignature Brew x Orange Amps turned the core Backstage IPA (5.2% Modern IPA) into a charity collaboration. 100% of profits from every pint and can sold donated to the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) UK Artist Touring Fund, supporting grassroots touring musicians. Available in independent music venues nationwide and via webstore in 6/12/24 packs at £20.
- Featured Artists Coalition (FAC)coreFAC is the beneficiary of the Signature Brew x Orange Amps Backstage IPA profits. The Featured Artists Coalition UK Artist Touring Fund supports grassroots touring musicians. 100% of all pint and can sales donated. Artists encouraged to shout about the campaign on socials to amplify the fund.
- Rough TradecoreSignature Brew joined forces with independent record store chain Rough Trade to serve beer exclusively on draught at all Rough Trade locations in East London, Bristol, and Nottingham. Full core range (Studio Lager, Roadie All-Night IPA, Backstage IPA) plus seasonal and collab beers. Partnership launched around Record Store Day 2023 with exclusive merch and co-branded events.
- Brick Lane Jazz FestivalminorSignature Brew returned as beer partner for Brick Lane Jazz Festival 2023 (rated #1 Best Festival to Book by Time Out). Beer served across seven music venues at the Truman Brewery site. Partnership with Jazz FM, Jazz re:freshed, Tomorrow's Warriors, and Tru Thoughts Records.
- Dogfish HeadminorCollaboration with US craft brewery Dogfish Head (founded by Sam Calagione). Produced 'Piercing Pils' Pear Tea Pilsner. Launch event featured bands The Mekons (Dogfish Head side) and Haggard Cat (Signature Brew side). Included a 7-course beer dinner co-hosted by Dogfish Head founder and Signature Brew co-founders at The Collab venue.
- The Collab (Walthamstow)minorThe Collab opened in Walthamstow in 2019 as a Signature Brew-owned music venue and event space. Hosted Dogfish Head beer dinner, launch events, and ongoing programming. Venue where brewery co-founder Sam McGregor and Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione hosted a joint 7-course beer matched dinner.
- MillencolinminorSkate punk legends Millencolin visited the brewery in 2016 to create 'Polar', a 7% White IPA. Working with the brew team, frontman Nik created a memorable brew using New Zealand hops Rakau and Wakatu, French Saison yeast, and wheat. Described as 'Polar — the world's most-enduring skate punk beer collaboration.'
- Slam Dunk FestivalminorCreated 'Super Brew' — the world's biggest band collaboration beer, a nine-way collaboration with Slam Dunk festival and bands Creeper, As It Is, Trash Boat, Roam, Astroid Boys, Woes, and Rob Lynch. Available exclusively at the festival.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Signature Brew competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Camden Town Brewery: London-based craft brewery with similar vintage and scale, acquired by AB InBev. Comparable in that it operates a brewery-plus-venue model in London and has pursued retail and on-trade distribution, making it a direct template for Signature Brew's growth and exit trajectory.
- North Brewing Co: UK craft brewery with brewery-taproom model and significant independent music venue ties, including its own North Bar venues. Comparable to Signature Brew in the brewery-plus-live-music positioning and indie/cultural brand identity.
- Anspach & Hobday: London-based craft brewery with a brewery-taproom model and growing on-trade and off-trade distribution. Peer level and geography make it a direct operational and competitive comparable to Signature Brew, particularly as both compete for London venues and supermarket listings.
- Five Points Brewing: East London craft brewery with attached taproom and venue operations. Geographic and operational overlap with Signature Brew in the London craft beer market, with similar scale and multi-channel distribution approach.
- Tiny Rebel: Welsh craft brewery with a strong music and sub-culture branding identity (name references a rock song). Operates brewery-taprooms and competes in the same UK craft segment with similar cultural-brand positioning to Signature Brew.
- Beavertown Brewery: London-based craft brewery founded in 2011 (same vintage as Signature Brew) with strong brand identity tied to music and street-art culture. Acquired by Heineken in 2023, providing a precedent for UK craft brewery exit valuations and a direct strategic acquirer profile comparable to Signature Brew.
- Northern Monk: UK craft brewery with strong venue presence (Refectory taproom), major retail listings, and equity-backed growth. Competes in the same on-trade and off-trade channels as Signature Brew and is a relevant comparable on scale and distribution ambition.
Emerging players
- Hackney Brewery: East London craft brewery operating from a taproom and competing in the same London craft segment. Comparable geographically and operationally to Signature Brew, with overlapping target customer and venue strategy.
Broad incumbents
- BrewDog: UK's largest independent craft brewery with extensive brewery-with-bar model (BrewDog Bars) and global retail distribution. Comparable as a scaled UK craft incumbent with vertically integrated brewing and hospitality, though significantly larger and more institutionally funded.
- Dogfish Head Brewery: US craft brewery and Signature Brew's named collaboration partner (Piercing Pils). Comparable as a music-and-food-celebration craft brewery with strong off-premise retail and on-premise presence, though at significantly larger scale in the US market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Signature Brew social profiles
Digital presenceSignature Brew financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Signature Brew leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Signature Brew funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Signature Brew M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Signature Brew
What does Signature Brew do?
Signature Brew brews and sells award-winning craft beers co-created with musicians, operating London's largest independent brewery from a state-of-the-art facility in East London. The company runs two integrated brewery-venues (Blackhorse Road and Haggerston) that double as live music stages, and distributes its core range, artist collaboration beers, and merchandise through a direct e-commerce webstore, wholesale partnerships with independent music venues, an exclusive draught deal with Rough Trade, and major UK supermarket listings at ASDA and Waitrose. It also produces the Pub In A Box gift product and exports to the USA, Sweden, Finland, and Italy.
Is Signature Brew a public or private company?
Signature Brew is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Signature Brew founded?
Signature Brew was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Signature Brew based?
Signature Brew is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Signature Brew make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct-to-Consumer Beer & Merch Sales are the primary driver. The others are on-site Venue Sales and wholesale / On-Trade Distribution.
Who are Signature Brew's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Camden Town Brewery, North Brewing Co, Anspach & Hobday, Five Points Brewing, Tiny Rebel, Beavertown Brewery and Northern Monk. Hackney Brewery is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are BrewDog and Dogfish Head Brewery.
Does Signature Brew have an API?
No public API is recorded for Signature Brew.
What industry is Signature Brew in?
Signature Brew's product category is Craft Beer. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAA, Beer Brewing & Brands, with a secondary code of AFAFAAAA, Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing. Its NAICS code is 31212 and its SIC code is 2082.