Kelham Island Brewery

Name

Kelham Island Brewery

Legal name

Kelham Island Brewery

Website

https://kelhambrewery.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Breweries (312120), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Cask conditioned ales
• Pale ale production
• Independent brewery
• Mini cask sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Craft Beer Sales: Kelham Island Brewery generates revenue through the production and sale of craft beers, including their flagship Pale Rider and other award-winning cask ales. Products are sold directly to consumers via mini casks and through trade channels to pubs and venues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kelham Island Brewery produces and sells traditional craft cask ales, with Pale Rider 5.2% pale ale as its flagship product. The brewery supplies cask-conditioned beer on a trade/wholesale basis to pubs and venues across South Yorkshire, and sells 5 litre mini casks directly to consumers via Thornbridge Brewery's online store. The brewery is Sheffield's oldest independent brewery, founded in 1990.

Product overview

Kelham Island Brewery is an independent craft brewery offering traditional cask-conditioned ales, with Pale Rider as its flagship product. Founded in 1990, it is Sheffield's oldest independent brewery and was the first new independent brewery in Sheffield for over 100 years. The brewery produces its award-winning Pale Rider pale ale, available in 5 litre mini casks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pale Rider Kelham Island Brewery's flagship 5.2% pale ale, brewed with American hops. Winner of the 2004 Champion Beer of Britain and the only beer in South Yorkshire to have received this accolade. Supplied on cask to pubs and venues across South Yorkshire, and in 5 litre mini casks to consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Champion Beer of Britain 2004 - only beer in South Yorkshire to ever receive this accolade

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Thornbridge BrewerycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Thornbridge Brewery founders Simon Webster and Jim Harrison were key members of the consortium that saved Kelham Island Brewery from closure in 2022. Thornbridge founders were inspired to start their business after Kelham Island beers, with founder Dave Wickett serving as a guiding hand in Thornbridge's early days. Thornbridge now operates the rescued brewery and sells Pale Rider through their online store.
• We Are BeerminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Ben Rymer, marketing manager from We Are Beer (beer festival organizers), was part of the consortium that saved the brewery. We Are Beer organizes celebrations of modern beer culture and brings expertise in beer marketing and events.
• Peter and Paul Creative StudiominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Peter Donohoe, founder of Sheffield-based creative studio Peter and Paul, was part of the consortium that rescued Kelham Island Brewery from closure, bringing creative and branding expertise to the rescue effort.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Abbeydale Brewery: Sheffield craft brewery founded by alumni of Kelham Island Brewery; comparable regional craft positioning, cask and keg range, and target on-trade customers.
• Theakston Brewery: Historic Yorkshire brewery producing traditional cask ales in a similar niche to Pale Rider; comparable regional heritage positioning and on-trade customers.
• Thornbridge Brewery: Sheffield-based craft brewery and a direct partner that led the 2022 rescue of Kelham Island Brewery; comparable size, similar cask ale focus, and now operates and distributes Kelham's Pale Rider.
• Bradfield Brewery: Yorkshire-based independent brewery whose founders trained at Kelham Island; comparable craft ale portfolio and regional on-trade distribution.
• Magic Rock Brewing: Huddersfield craft brewery with Kelham alumni, focused on modern hop-forward cask and keg ales targeting similar craft pubs and enthusiasts.
• Cloudwater Brew Co. Manchester craft brewery with modern hop-forward styles and direct-to-consumer emphasis; a relevant UK craft peer for premium ale positioning.
• Camden Town Brewery: London-based craft brewery with comparable cask/keg ale portfolio, on-trade focus, and heritage storytelling — a UK craft scale benchmark.

Broad incumbents

• Timothy Taylor: Established Yorkshire regional brewer with a strong cask ale portfolio and national on-premise footprint; relevant heritage craft comparator, though notably larger.
• Marston's PLC: Large UK regional brewer and pub operator; competes for on-trade cask ale listings in Yorkshire and beyond, and serves as a benchmark for scaled regional brewing.
• BrewDog: Scotland-headquartered craft beer brand with Kelham alumni on its founding team; much larger scale and national reach, but overlaps directly in craft ale and on-trade channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KelhamBrewery
• Facebookfacebook.com/kelhambrewery
• Instagraminstagram.com/kelham_island_brewery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kelham-island-brewery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Kelham Island Brewery