Crafty Brewing Company

What Crafty Brewing Company does

Crafty Brewing Company is a privately held UK craft microbrewery headquartered at Thatched House Farm, Loxhill, near Godalming in Surrey, founded by Luke Herman in 2014 and operating with 1-10 employees. It produces award-winning contemporary and traditional craft beers — including Hop Tipple IPA, Loxhill Biscuit Golden Ale, Wave Catcher Session IPA, Blind Side Best Bitter, Arctic Fox Gluten Free Pilsner, and Distant Horizon Hazy Pale Ale — in cask, keg, bottle, and can formats. The brewery operates a purpose-built 4,000 square foot facility with a 100,000 litres per month capacity and houses a proprietary bread-to-beer brewing process (Crumbs range) that substitutes unsold artisan bread for malt, alongside a Hop Rocket dry-hopping system used for IPAs.

The company monetises through four distinct revenue streams: direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales (with free local Surrey delivery over £25 and free UK delivery over £50), trade and B2B wholesale to pubs, restaurants, hotels, and retailers via direct regional delivery and four wholesale distributors (Eebria, Best Cask, Tolchard's, LWC), custom/private label beer for corporate events, weddings, and retail (offering an online label design tool and WooCommerce/Shopify drop-shipping integration), and digital gift vouchers from £5 to £100. Multiple SIBA medals (including a 2017 Gold for Hop Tipple, 2024 and 2025 Silver medals, and a 2024 Business Innovation Award), plus 2023 Great Taste Awards, underpin quality credentialing. In February 2025, Crafty Brewing acquired Oxfordshire-based Ridgeway Brewery, adding heritage ales and the Santa's Butt / Bad Elf Christmas range, lifting combined production capacity to 100,000 litres per week and bringing export-focused operations into the group.

Name

Crafty Brewing Company

Legal name

The Crafty Brewing Company Ltd.

Website

https://craftybrewing.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Crafty Brewing Company is a privately held UK craft microbrewery based in Surrey that produces award-winning traditional and contemporary beers for direct-to-consumer, trade wholesale, custom B2B private label, and export markets, having acquired Ridgeway Brewery in February 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB)

Keywords

• Craft beer production
• Private label beer
• Personalised beer labels
• Cask and keg supply
• Craft beer wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Godalming

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct Consumer Sales: Online sales of core beer range, personalised beers, and mixed cases to consumers through e-commerce website. Includes local delivery (Surrey area) and UK-wide delivery.
2. Trade & B2B Wholesale: Wholesale supply to pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, and retailers. Direct delivery in Surrey/Sussex/Hampshire/Berkshire/SW London plus distributor network for wider UK.
3. Custom/Private Label Beer: Custom branded beers for events, corporate gifts, and retail. Minimum orders from 6 cans (personalised) to 300+ cans (custom branded). Includes design services and drop shipping.
4. Gift Vouchers: Digital gift vouchers sold online in denominations from £5 to £100, delivered via email.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Crafty Brewing Company brews and sells a portfolio of SIBA award-winning craft beers (Hop Tipple IPA, Loxhill Biscuit Golden Ale, Wave Catcher Session IPA, Arctic Fox Pilsner, Blind Side Best Bitter, Distant Horizon Hazy Pale Ale) in cans, bottles, casks and kegs through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store, brewery collection point and a trade/B2B wholesale network. It also produces a sustainability-focused Crumbs range brewed from unsold artisan bread, offers personalised and custom-branded B2B private-label beer services with drop shipping, and, following its February 2025 acquisition of Ridgeway Brewery, distributes heritage ales and Christmas beers including the Santa's Butt and Bad Elf ranges.

Product overview

Crafty Brewing Company is a craft brewer offering a portfolio of products across multiple sub-brands and acquisition/partnership brands. Its core range includes award-winning craft beers (Arctic Fox Pilsner, Wave Catcher Session IPA, Hop Tipple IPA, Loxhill Biscuit Golden Ale, Blind Side Best Bitter, Distant Horizon Hazy Pale Ale, Crafty One Pale Ale) available in cans, bottles, casks, and kegs. The company operates three branded sub-portfolios: Crumbs Brewing (sustainability-focused beers brewed from surplus bread), Personalised Beers (custom label design for gifting and events), and Custom Beer for Business (B2B private label beer with drop shipping). Following its February 2025 acquisition of Ridgeway Brewery, the portfolio expanded to include Ridgeway's heritage ales and iconic Christmas beer range (Santa's Butt, Bad Elf, Lump of Coal). The company also distributes Coniston Brewing Co. beers through a partnership. Products are sold through an e-commerce store with WooCommerce and Shopify integration, as well as to on-trade and off-trade trade customers via direct delivery and wholesale distributors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Crumbs Brewing: Beer brewed from unsold artisan bread from local bakers, fighting food waste.
• Ridgeway Brewing
• Coniston Brewing

Products and services

• Hop Tipple IPA India Pale Ale at 4.2% ABV brewed with Maris Otter and Munich malts and Cascade and Chinook hops, with a Hop Rocket dry hopping finish. Available in 500ml bottles and casks for retail and trade customers.
• Loxhill Biscuit Gluten Free Golden Ale Gluten free golden ale at 4.5% ABV brewed with Amarillo, First Gold and Challenger hops using English Maris Otter, German Munich and Belgian Biscuit malts for a toasty biscuit finish. Available in 500ml bottles and casks.
• Wave Catcher Session IPA Session IPA dry-hopped with Mosaic and Simcoe hops for a bold thirst-quenching finish. Gluten free, vegan and vegetarian. Available in 330ml and 440ml cans and 500ml bottles.
• Arctic Fox Gluten Free Pilsner Gluten free pilsner brewed with Pilsner and Vienna malts and Tettnang and Bobek hops, conditioned for 3 months for a mellow flavour. Available in 330ml cans, 440ml cans and 500ml bottles.
• Blind Side Best Bitter Deep amber best bitter with well-balanced malt and hops delivering a distinctive malty bitterness and crisp finish. Available in 440ml can and trade cask formats.
• Distant Horizon Hazy Pale Ale Hazy pale ale dry-hopped with Citra and Nectaron hops, with notes of citrus, pineapple, passion fruit and stone fruit. Available in 440ml cans and kegs.
• Crumbs Brewing Bread-to-Beer Range Sustainability-focused sub-brand of craft beers brewed from unsold artisan bread sourced from local bakers including Chalk Hills Bakery, with each variant using a different bread type (sourdough, Surrey Bloomer, rye, naan). Includes Crumbs Sourdough Pale Ale, Crumbs Bloomin' Amber Lager, Crumbs Rye Ruby Ale and the world's first Naan Laager.
• Personalised Beers D2C custom label beer service allowing customers to create personalised beer labels for gifting, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and events. Includes a fully customisable online label designer and a 'Quick & Easy' template-based option for IPA, Pilsner and Cider in 6-can or 12-can packs.
• Custom Beer for Business (Private Label B2B) B2B private label beer service enabling brands, businesses and event organisers to commission fully customised branded beers with bespoke artwork. Includes drop shipping integration with WooCommerce and Shopify for direct-to-customer dispatch, minimum orders from 6 cans (personalised) to 300+ cans (custom branded), and a 6-can sample pack credited against orders of 25+ cases. Named customers include the National Theatre, Swamp Motel and The Adventure Element.
• Ridgeway Brewery Heritage Ale Range Heritage ale brand acquired from Oxfordshire, offering traditional English IPAs, bitters, ESB and the iconic Christmas beer range (Santa's Butt Porter 6%, Bad Elf Pale Ale 4.5%, Very Bad Elf, Lump of Coal Strong Stout 7.5%, Reindeer's Revolt Strong Pale Ale 4.7%, Warm Welcome Nut Brown Ale 6%). Combined production capacity with Crafty Brewing reaches 100,000 litres per week.
• Coniston Brewing Range (Partner Brand) Partnership-distributed Lake District brewery range including Coniston Bluebird Bitter (Champion Beer of Great Britain winner), Coniston XB, Coniston Old Man Ale and Coniston Freebird (0.5% ABV gluten free pale ale).
• Casks for Events (Firkin Cask Hire) 9-gallon firkin cask hire service for events and parties at £120 per cask with a £85 refundable deposit (approximately 68 pints). Includes optional gravity-fed dispense kit rental. Available for Hop Tipple, Loxhill Biscuit and Blind Side. Collection only from the brewery with 72 hours advance notice.
• Gift Vouchers Digital gift vouchers available in denominations of £5, £10, £25, £50, £75 and £100, auto-delivered by email to the recipient on a purchaser-selected date for redemption against the Crafty Brewing online shop.

Quantifiable outcome

• SIBA Business Innovation Award 2024 for personalised beers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ridgeway BrewerycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2025Crafty Brewing acquired Ridgeway Brewery in February 2025, combining two like-minded beer producers focused on high quality and environmental consideration. Ridgeway founder Peter Scholey continues as Master Brewer. Combined business can produce 100,000 litres per week. Ridgeway brings strong export focus, world-class beers including Santa's Butt and Bad Elf Christmas range, and Oxfordshire-based operations.
• EebriaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partner for Crafty Brewing products.
• Best CaskminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partner for Crafty Brewing products.
• Tolchard'sminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partner for Crafty Brewing products.
• LWC (Largest Independent Beer & Cider Company)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partner for Crafty Brewing products.
• Local Artisan Bakers (Chalk Hills Bakery)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of unsold artisan bread used in Crumbs Brewing range. Bread replaces malt in brewing, reducing food waste while creating unique beer flavours from sourdough, Surrey Bloomer, rye bread, and naan bread.
• Hari GhotraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChef and food writer who collaborated with Crafty Brewing to develop the world's first Naan Laager using wonky and unsold naan bread. Partner contributed to recipe development and product naming.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Thornbridge Brewery: Derbyshire-based craft brewery producing a broad range of cask, keg, bottle, and can beers with national UK distribution and multiple SIBA awards. Comparable in product breadth, awards pedigree, and trade-led GTM.
• Innis & Gunn: Scottish craft brewery with original beer, lager, and IPA ranges sold across UK on-trade, off-trade, and export markets. Directly comparable as a multi-format, multi-channel UK craft producer with similar awards profile and DTC operations.
• Tiny Rebel Brewing Co: Welsh craft brewery producing core, seasonal, and collaborative beers with strong on-trade taproom presence and SIBA award credentials. Comparable in scale, awards profile, and UK craft positioning.
• Fourpure Brewing: London craft brewery (Bermondsey) producing core and seasonal beers for UK on- and off-trade. Comparable as a South East England craft brewer operating at similar capacity and distribution scale.
• Marble Beers: Manchester craft brewery with a strong cask and keg core range and regional on-trade focus. Comparable as a regional UK craft brewer competing in similar trade channels.
• Harvey's Brewery: Sussex-based heritage brewer producing traditional ales for UK on-trade, free trade, and select export markets. Comparable as a South East England regional brewery with a heritage ale portfolio acquired by Crafty via Ridgeway.
• Adnams: Suffolk-based brewer and retailer producing a core range of cask and bottled beers distributed across UK trade and direct channels. Comparable as a regional UK brewer combining heritage brands with modern craft SKUs.
• Camden Town Brewery: London-based craft brewery producing a multi-format range of lagers, pale ales, and seasonal beers with strong on-trade and DTC presence. Highly comparable in craft positioning, multi-channel distribution, and UK premium independent identity to Crafty Brewing.
• Coniston Brewing Co: Lake District craft brewery behind Champion Beer of Great Britain-winning Bluebird Bitter, already a partnership brand distributed by Crafty Brewing. Highly comparable in scale, awards profile, and UK regional craft positioning.

Broad incumbents

• BrewDog: UK's largest independent craft brewer with a vast core and limited-edition range, hundreds of bars, and global export. Comparable as the dominant UK craft benchmark and competitive context for Crafty's craft positioning, but materially larger in scale and reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/craftybrewing
• Facebookfacebook.com/craftybrewing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-crafty-brewing-co
• Instagraminstagram.com/craftybrewing

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crafty Brewing Company