Lacada Brewery
Lacada Brewery is a community-owned craft brewery co-operative in Portrush, Northern Ireland, producing 100+ craft beer recipes and live-cultured kombucha for North Coast visitors, Northern Ireland on-trade and off-trade accounts, and UK direct-to-consumer customers via taproom, e-commerce, and wholesale.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersPortrush, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Lacada Brewery does
Lacada Brewery is a community-owned craft brewery co-operative based in Portrush, Northern Ireland, operating under the Co-operative & Community Benefit Society Act (NI) 2016 with more than 400 local co-owners and a small employed team. Founded in 2014 and commercially active since October 2015, the brewery operates a single production site at 7A Victoria Street, Portrush, where it brews over 100 distinct craft beer recipes — including the award-winning Utopian Stout (3-star Great Taste Awards 2018, two Blas na hÉireann Silver medals) — alongside a live-cultured kombucha range fermented with SCOBY. Core products include West Bay (Citra Pale Ale), Rathlin Gold, East the Beast IPA, Elephant Rock, and Utopian Stout, with names tied to local geography and history; production is supported by an in-house canning line and an internally-coded brewery management system.
The company monetises through a multi-channel model: a 19-tap on-site taproom open 104 evenings per year, direct e-commerce (shop.lacadabrewery.com) shipping across the UK with free delivery over £65, wholesale to 30+ on-trade venues and 20+ off-licences across Northern Ireland, brewery tours at £10–£25 per person, private event keg sales, kombucha growler fills, and co-operative share offers (minimum £100 per co-owner). GTM is community-led: the 400+ co-owner base drives word-of-mouth, volunteer support, and grassroots demand, supplemented by beer festival attendance, tap takeovers, an active social presence across Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube and Untappd, and local collaborations with peer NI breweries (Boundary, Bullhouse, Brehon Brewhouse, Modest Beer NI), suppliers (North Coast Smokehouse, NuPrint), and cultural partners.
Lacada's distribution is concentrated in Northern Ireland, with Belfast named as a key on-trade market, while packaged online sales extend to England, Scotland and Wales (Republic of Ireland excluded). The customer base is fragmented across hospitality, off-trade retail, individual enthusiasts, and the co-operative membership itself, with no single anchor account. Founded on a deliberately capital-light community share-offer of £60K–£100K raised in 2015, the brewery has grown organically into a multi-product, multi-channel craft operation with a strong place-based brand identity rooted in North Coast history.
Lacada Brewery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lacada Brewery
- Legal name
- Lacada Brewery Ltd.
- Website
- https://lacadabrewery.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lacada Brewery is a community-owned craft brewery co-operative in Portrush, Northern Ireland, producing 100+ craft beer recipes and live-cultured kombucha for North Coast visitors, Northern Ireland on-trade and off-trade accounts, and UK direct-to-consumer customers via taproom, e-commerce, and wholesale.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lacada Brewery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Brewery
- NAICS
- Breweries (312120), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)
- SIC
- Malt Beverages (2082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Kombucha & Other Fermented Non-Alcoholic Beverages (AFAFABAK), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)
Keywords
Where Lacada Brewery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portrush
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Lacada Brewery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct Beer Sales (E-commerce): Online shop selling cans and bottles of craft beer delivered across Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales. Free delivery on orders over £65.
- Taproom Sales: On-site taproom with 19 rotating taps of craft beer. Open 104 evenings per year, typically Fridays and Saturdays 4 PM to 10 PM. Also sells kombucha on tap.
- Wholesale to On-Trade (Bars & Restaurants): Keg and cask beer sales to bars and restaurants including Kiwis Brew Bar, Harry's Shack, The Sunflower (Belfast), The American Bar, and 30+ other venues across Northern Ireland.
- Wholesale to Off-Trade (Off-Licences): Bottled and canned beer sales to off-licences and wine merchants across Northern Ireland including Singin' Thistle/Fairley's, Wineflair, Cellar 13, and others.
- Brewery Tours & Tastings: Full brewery tours at £25 per person (7 stops, 45-60 min, curated tasting) and Spot Tours at £10 per person (15-20 min, no tasting). Private/group tours also arranged. Minimum group size 4.
- Kombucha Sales: Kombucha sold via growler system: 500ml swingtop bottle for £1 (keep), fills for £3. Available Tuesday to Saturday at the brewery. Also on tap at the taproom.
- Co-operative Membership (Share Offers): Community members purchase shares to become co-owners (minimum £100). The initial share offer in 2015 exceeded £60,000 (minimum target £40,000, upper cap £100,000). Membership was periodically closed and reopened.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full Brewery Tour - £25 per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Spot Tour - £10 per person |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Co-operative Share - Minimum £100 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Kombucha Growler Fill - £3 |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Online Shop - Free Delivery over £65 |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Lacada Brewery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lacada Brewery manufactures and sells craft beer and live-cultured kombucha from its Portrush brewery, distributing through an on-site taproom, an online shop with UK-wide delivery, and a wholesale network of on-trade bars, restaurants and off-licences across Northern Ireland. The co-operative also generates revenue from guided brewery tours and tastings, and offers free browser-based homebrew calculation tools.
Product overview
Lacada Brewery is a community-owned craft brewery in Portrush, Northern Ireland, offering a range of core beers including pale ales, stouts, IPAs, and lagers. Their flagship products include West Bay (Citra Pale Ale), Rathlin Gold (Irish Pale Ale), East the Beast (IPA), and the award-winning Utopian Stout. Beyond beer, they produce kombucha on tap through a growler system, offer brewery tours, and provide free homebrew calculators online. The company operates a taproom with 19 rotating taps and sells directly to stockists across Northern Ireland.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lacada Kombucha: Live-cultured, naturally fermented kombucha brewed on site at the brewery. Available on tap with growler fills.
- Salamander Series
Products and services
- West Bay A 4.6% American style Pale Ale dry hopped with Citra, producing fresh, zesty and easy drinking characteristics. Named after West Bay in Portrush.
- Rathlin Gold A 3.8% Pale Ale brewed with noble hops and heritage malts, featuring malty, floral, and herbal notes. Named after the Irish Golden Hares on Rathlin Island.
- East the Beast A 6% American IPA with fruity characteristics from a mass of hops. Named after the surfing wave at East Strand in Portrush.
- Utopian Stout A 7% award-winning full bodied, medium dry stout with silky smooth mouthfeel, roasted malt aroma with dark chocolate and coffee notes. Awarded 3 Stars at Great Taste Awards 2018 and two Silver Medals at Blas na hÉireann (2017, 2022).
- Elephant Rock A 5.7% IPA brewed with 20% malted oats, featuring caramel backbone with Amarillo, Mosaic and Citra hops delivering mandarin, passionfruit, pineapple and ginger spiciness.
- Kombucha Live-cultured, naturally fermented kombucha available on tap with weekly rotating flavors including Mango Pineapple Hops, Raspberry, Blueberry, Ginger Beer, and seasonal varieties. Sold via a 500ml swingtop growler bottle system (£1 bottle, £3 fills).
- Brewery Tours Guided seven-stop brewery tours covering malt, brewhouse, fermentation, packaging, and tasting. Full Tour priced at £25 per person (45–60 minutes, curated tasting at end); Spot Tour at £10 per person (15–20 minutes, no tasting). Private/group tours also arranged with a minimum group size of 4.
- Homebrew Calculators Free browser-based brewing tools including ABV Calculator, IBU Calculator, SRM/EBC Calculator, Strike Water Calculator, Priming Sugar Calculator, Yeast Pitch Rate Calculator, Refractometer Correction, and Dilution Calculator. Built for mobile use mid-brew, and the same calculations are used at the brewery.
- Taproom On-site taproom at the Portrush brewery with 19 rotating taps serving craft beer and kombucha. Open 104 evenings per year, typically Fridays and Saturdays 4 PM to 10 PM. Also serves as the brewery shop for off-sales on Saturdays 12–5 PM year-round and Wednesdays 12–5 PM in summer.
Quantifiable outcome
- Utopian Stout sold out completely at Belfast Beer & Cider Festival — all six firkins gone by Saturday
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Lacada Brewery
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Lacada Brewery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Lacada Brewery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Co-operative Alternatives UKcoreCo-operative business support organisation that provided initial advice and guidance during Lacada's formation. Delivered a four-day advice package via Co-Op Alternatives in Belfast. Helped with structure and governance of the co-operative business model. Continuing relationship with Tiziana O'Hara and Jo Bird.
- Topsham Ales (Devon, England)minorCo-operative brewery in Exeter, Devon. Visited Lacada and shared expertise on co-op brewery setup and brewing operations. Robert Patterson, brewer at Topsham Ales, toured the Lacada brewery and praised the setup. Lacada had previously contacted Topsham Ales to learn about their co-op model.
- And So I Watch You From Afar (ASIWYFA)minorNorthern Irish post-rock band with roots on the North Coast. Collaboratively brewed 'Three Triangles' IPA (7.8% ABV, 15g/L dry hop with Mosaic, Simcoe and Equinox) as a celebration of two North Coast creative projects coming together.
- Dead End Brew MachineminorCollaborative brewer involved in the 'Shore' beer — a stout featuring locally sourced dulse (seaweed) from the North Coast and smoked malt from North Coast Smokehouse Ballycastle.
- MashDown BreweryminorCollaborative brewer in the 'Shore' beer project alongside Dead End Brew Machine and North Coast Smokehouse.
- North Coast Smokehouse (Ballycastle)minorLocal Ballycastle business supplying smoked malt for the 'Shore' collaborative stout. Represents local supply chain partnership supporting the North Coast economy.
- Bullhouse Brew CominorCollaborated on 'Defenestrator' Doppelbock (7.5% ABV with rich malt character, light clove and banana notes).
- Brehon Brewhouse (Co. Monaghan)minorCollaborated on 'Dunseverick' IPA (5.5% with Talus, Idaho 7 and Simcoe hops, tropical fruit, pine and robust bitterness).
- Modest Beer NIminorCollaborated on 'Tidal Streams' Table Beer (3% ABV) using Chevalier and Hana Pilsen heritage malts, hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Moteuka, using a new yeast from Wicklow Hops Company.
- Boundary Brewing Co-operative (Belfast)minorBelfast-based co-operative brewery. Strong links through shared co-ownership — some members own shares in both Lacada and Boundary. The two co-ops support each other's growth. Laurie Davies (Lacada Director) spoke at the Co-Operative Alternatives AGM held at Boundary's brewery.
- NuPrint (Derry/Londonderry)minorLocal Northern Ireland label printing partner producing Lacada's main beer labels and Salamander Series labels with gold foil elements. Supporting another local NI business.
- Get 'er BrewedminorLocal supplier of brewing ingredients including malt and hops. Lacada sources ingredients from Get 'er Brewed to support the local economy and ensure high quality.
- Babushka Kitchen Cafe (Portrush)minorNorth Coast coffee expert and proprietor George Nelson collaborated on 'South Pier' Coffee Stout, brewed with Santa Rosa 1900 Costa Rican coffee from Swedish roasters Koppi.
- Portrush Portstewart RNLIminorLacada brewed 'Out On A Shout' fruity pale ale in collaboration with and to celebrate the RNLI fundraising branch's 200th anniversary.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Lacada Brewery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Beavertown Brewery: London-based craft brewery (now owned by Heineken) with national UK distribution and a flagship taproom. Comparable as a UK craft incumbent competing for taps and shelf space in the same on-trade venues and retail channels.
- BrewDog: The UK's largest and most recognized craft brewery brand, with broad on-trade, off-trade, and own-retail (BrewDog Bars/Hotels) footprint. Comparable as an incumbent UK craft brand competing for the same consumer occasions, though at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
Direct peers
- Boundary Brewing Co-operative: Belfast-based community co-operative brewery. Directly comparable to Lacada as another NI co-op brewery with shared co-owners, parallel governance model, and overlapping on-trade distribution in Belfast.
- Manchester Brewing Co-Operative: UK community co-operative brewery explicitly cited as a structural inspiration for Lacada. Comparable as a co-operative craft brewery using the same community-ownership and democratic-governance model.
- Topsham Ales: Community-owned co-operative brewery in Devon, England, that served as a mentor to Lacada during setup. Comparable as a UK co-operative craft brewery with the same member-owned governance structure.
- Cloudwater Brew Co: Manchester-based craft brewery known for hop-forward modern styles (NEIPA, saisons). Comparable to Lacada as a UK craft producer targeting similar modern craft enthusiasts with rotating seasonal and limited releases.
- Bullhouse Brew Co: Belfast craft brewery that has collaborated with Lacada on collab beers (Defenestrator). Comparable as a similarly-sized NI craft producer with overlapping taproom and wholesale channels.
- Walled City Brewery: Craft brewery based in Derry/Londonderry with on-site taproom and regional NI distribution. Comparable to Lacada as a small NI craft producer competing for similar on-trade accounts and tourist taproom traffic.
- Hilden Brewery: Northern Ireland's oldest independent brewery, operating a working brewery with taproom and on-trade/off-trade distribution across the region. Directly comparable as a craft beer producer serving the same NI market.
Emerging players
- Athletic Brewing Company: US-based craft brewer specializing in non-alcoholic beers, with growing distribution into UK markets. Comparable to Lacada's kombucha/NA expansion as a category-defining player in the non-alcoholic craft beverage space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lacada Brewery social profiles
Digital presenceLacada Brewery compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Lacada Brewery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lacada Brewery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Lacada Brewery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lacada Brewery 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 Lacada Brewery
What does Lacada Brewery do?
Lacada Brewery manufactures and sells craft beer and live-cultured kombucha from its Portrush brewery, distributing through an on-site taproom, an online shop with UK-wide delivery, and a wholesale network of on-trade bars, restaurants and off-licences across Northern Ireland. The co-operative also generates revenue from guided brewery tours and tastings, and offers free browser-based homebrew calculation tools.
Is Lacada Brewery a public or private company?
Lacada Brewery is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Lacada Brewery founded?
Lacada Brewery was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lacada Brewery based?
Lacada Brewery is headquartered in Portrush, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Lacada Brewery make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Direct Beer Sales (E-commerce) is the primary driver. The others are taproom Sales, wholesale to On-Trade (Bars & Restaurants), wholesale to Off-Trade (Off-Licences), brewery Tours & Tastings, kombucha Sales and co-operative Membership (Share Offers).
Who are Lacada Brewery's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Beavertown Brewery and BrewDog. Direct peers are Boundary Brewing Co-operative, Manchester Brewing Co-Operative, Topsham Ales, Cloudwater Brew Co, Bullhouse Brew Co, Walled City Brewery and Hilden Brewery. Athletic Brewing Company is listed as an emerging player.
Does Lacada Brewery have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lacada Brewery.
What industry is Lacada Brewery in?
Lacada Brewery's product category is Craft Brewery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAB, Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service), with a secondary code of AFAFABAK, Kombucha & Other Fermented Non-Alcoholic Beverages. Its NAICS code is 312120 and its SIC code is 2082.