Elusive Brewing
Elusive Brewing is an independent UK craft brewery in Finchampstead, Berkshire, producing award-winning West Coast IPAs, stouts, and seasonal beers sold via UK-wide online shop, taproom, and wholesale to pubs and bottle shops.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersWokingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Elusive Brewing does
Elusive Brewing is an independent UK craft brewery founded in 2016 by Andy Parker in Finchampstead, Berkshire, after Parker won national home brewing awards in 2014. The company brews and sells award-winning West Coast IPAs, stouts, and seasonal beers inspired by American craft brewing, with its flagship Oregon Trail West Coast IPA (5.8% ABV, Simcoe/Chinook/Columbus hops) winning the World Beer Awards 2021 for UK's Best American IPA, the CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain IPA 2025, and SIBA recognition. Core production technology includes dual-purpose fermentation vessels, a canning line acquired in September 2020, and a kettle souring process using Lallemand WildBrew Sour Pitch lactobacillus plantarum at controlled pH and temperature; capacity has been progressively expanded through additional vessels from Beatnikz Republic (2021), cuckoo brewing at Double-Barrelled Brewery in Reading (2022), and tank upgrades targeting 90HL cellar capacity with 30% production growth planned for 2026.
Elusive operates a multi-channel revenue model combining direct-to-consumer online sales with UK-wide delivery (£4.75 single can to £53 12-pack), walk-in taproom sales at two Finchampstead units (open Thursday-Saturday), wholesale distribution to UK pubs, bars, and bottle shops, experiential revenue from £25 Brewery Talk & Tutored Tasting sessions, and merchandise (hoodies £50, t-shirts £18, glassware, gift vouchers). Primary customer segments are individual craft beer enthusiasts (DTC) and trade stockists, with a secondary community of home brewers engaged through an annual competition run in partnership with The Malt Miller.
The team comprises five people led by Managing Director Ruth Mitchell (joined April 2021 from Utopian Brewery, promoted to MD August 2022) and founder Andy Parker, who stepped back from the MD role to focus on product development. An EMI Share Scheme was announced in August 2022 to move toward employee ownership. The business has grown from two founders to a team of five with no disclosed institutional funding rounds, having more than tripled production and revenue post-lockdown through 81% revenue growth in 2021 and 66% growth in 2022.
Elusive Brewing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Elusive Brewing
- Legal name
- Elusive Brewing
- Website
- https://elusivebrewing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Elusive Brewing is an independent UK craft brewery in Finchampstead, Berkshire, producing award-winning West Coast IPAs, stouts, and seasonal beers sold via UK-wide online shop, taproom, and wholesale to pubs and bottle shops.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Elusive Brewing industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Breweries (312120), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), 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
- Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC), Online Alcohol & Adult Beverage Delivery (CRAHAIAH), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)
Keywords
Where Elusive Brewing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wokingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Elusive Brewing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer Beer Sales: Online shop selling beer for UK-wide delivery plus taproom sales to walk-in customers. Beer available in various formats including cans (single, 6-pack, 12-pack), cask, and KeyKeg.
- Wholesale/Trade Sales: Supplying beer to pubs, bars, bottle shops, and retailers across the UK. Core channel for volume sales with trade customers stocking their products.
- Experiential Services: Brewery Talk & Tasting sessions at £25 per person, including behind-the-scenes brewery tour, tutored tasting of 3+ beers, and 10% discount on purchases.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including hoodies (£50), t-shirts (£18), glassware (£5), books, and gift vouchers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single can pricing for Oregon Trail West Coast IPA 5.8% 440ml |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 6-pack of Oregon Trail West Coast IPA 5.8% 440ml cans |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 12-pack of Oregon Trail West Coast IPA 5.8% 440ml cans |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Brewery Talk & Tasting experience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Black Lined Hoodie merchandise |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sapphire Blue Gildan t-shirt |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | eGift Vouchers |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Elusive Brewing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Elusive Brewing is an independent craft brewery that produces and sells award-winning West Coast IPAs, stouts, and seasonal beers through its Finchampstead brewery, taproom, UK-wide online shop, and wholesale trade channel. The portfolio is anchored by the flagship Oregon Trail West Coast IPA and complemented by seasonal releases, plus ancillary offerings including Brewery Talk & Tasting experiences, branded merchandise, and gift vouchers.
Product overview
Elusive Brewing is an independent craft brewery offering a portfolio centered on award-winning West Coast IPAs, stouts, and seasonal beers inspired by American craft brewing. Core products include the flagship Oregon Trail West Coast IPA (5.8%) and specialty seasonals like Mince Pie Barley Wine (8.5%). The brewery supplements its beer offerings with experiential products including Brewery Talk & Tutored Tasting sessions (£25), gift vouchers, branded merchandise (glasses, apparel, books), and an annual Home Brewing Competition run with The Malt Miller. The company operates a taproom in Finchampstead, Berkshire with online shop for UK-wide delivery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- World Beer Awards 2021 - UK's Best American IPA
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Elusive Brewing
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Elusive Brewing technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Elusive Brewing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Malt MillercoreHome brewing competition partner for annual birthday competitions. Provides competition entry kits, ingredients, and venue for entries. Competition winners receive £500 cash plus Malt Miller voucher and opportunity to brew commercially with Elusive. Some previous winners have launched their own breweries with Elusive's support.
- Collabageddon 2025 Brewery Partnerscore11 breweries collaborated for Collabageddon 2025: Brolly, Thornbridge, Bullhouse, Fierce, Campervan, Wild Horse, Castle Rock, Duration, Tap Social, Origins (Fyne), Hand. Plus 25+ venue partners across the UK.
- Siren Craft BrewcoreNeighboring brewery in Finchampstead that has provided critical support including cuckoo brewing capacity during Elusive's expansion. Siren is six times larger than Elusive's brew length. Andy Parker originally asked to set up near them and they have supported Elusive throughout their journey including during pandemic.
- Double-Barrelled BrewerycoreCuckoo brewing arrangement where Elusive brews additional batches at Double-Barrelled's Reading facility. Provides additional capacity to brew 15 BBL (2400L) batches - triple Elusive's normal brew length. Partners share same water source and ingredient suppliers. First cuckoo batch was Sing You A Song West Coast Pale.
- Weird Beard Brew CharactersminorCollaboration partner for 5th birthday celebration series. Described as 'a huge part of how we came to be' in the brewery's founding story.
- Siren Craft BrewminorCollaboration partner for 5th birthday celebration series. Described as 'neighbours and absolute rock who support us endlessly'.
- Double-Barrelled BreweryminorCollaboration partner for 5th birthday celebration series. Described as 'Reading besties who continue to amaze and drive us to be the best we can be'.
- Marble BreweryminorCollaboration partner for 5th birthday celebration series. Described as 'Craft OGs and a true inspiration to us and hundreds of other small breweries'.
- Collabageddon Venue PartnerscoreNetwork of 16+ UK venues hosting Collabageddon beer launches including Beer in Hand (Hereford), Belgium & Blues (Southampton), Fuggles Beer Cafe (Tunbridge Wells), Stoneworks (Peterborough), and others nationwide.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Elusive Brewing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Siren Craft Brew: Neighboring craft brewery in Finchampstead and a cuckoo brewing partner for Elusive. Operates at approximately 6x Elusive's brew length and shares the same water source and ingredient suppliers, making it the closest operational and geographic peer.
- Double-Barrelled Brewery: Reading-based craft brewery and core cuckoo brewing partner. Elusive brews 15 BBL batches at Double-Barrelled's facility to overcome capacity constraints; strong comparable on size and craft-IPA positioning.
- Weird Beard Brew Characters: UK independent craft brewery cited as formative in Elusive's founding story and a collaboration partner for Elusive's 5th birthday. Similar scale and craft focus.
- Thornbridge Brewery: UK craft brewery and Collabageddon 2025 collaborator. Direct comparable on craft-IPA portfolio and independent UK positioning, though at larger scale.
- Bingham's Brewery: Berkshire-based craft brewery where Elusive's full-time brewer Ricky Moysey previously worked. Comparable in size and regional craft positioning.
- Marble Brewery: Long-established UK craft brewery cited by Elusive as inspiration and a 5th birthday collaboration partner. Highly comparable on independent craft-IPA focus.
- Duration Brewing: UK craft brewery that collaborated with Elusive on Collabageddon 2025. Similar independent craft profile and taproom-plus-wholesale business model.
- Utopian Brewery: UK craft brewery where MD Ruth Mitchell previously served as National Sales Manager. Directly comparable in size and craft-IPA positioning.
Broad incumbents
- West Berkshire Brewery: Established regional UK brewery where Ruth Mitchell worked earlier in her career. Larger and broader portfolio than Elusive but a relevant comparable on Berkshire-region craft positioning and channels.
- Adnams: Large UK regional brewer and pub operator where Ruth Mitchell also worked. Much broader portfolio and scale than Elusive but a relevant UK brewing incumbent comparator for go-to-market and trade dynamics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Elusive Brewing social profiles
Digital presenceElusive Brewing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Elusive Brewing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Elusive Brewing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Elusive Brewing 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 Elusive Brewing
What does Elusive Brewing do?
Elusive Brewing is an independent craft brewery that produces and sells award-winning West Coast IPAs, stouts, and seasonal beers through its Finchampstead brewery, taproom, UK-wide online shop, and wholesale trade channel. The portfolio is anchored by the flagship Oregon Trail West Coast IPA and complemented by seasonal releases, plus ancillary offerings including Brewery Talk & Tasting experiences, branded merchandise, and gift vouchers.
Is Elusive Brewing a public or private company?
Elusive Brewing is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Elusive Brewing founded?
Elusive Brewing was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Elusive Brewing based?
Elusive Brewing is headquartered in Wokingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Elusive Brewing make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct-to-Consumer Beer Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale/Trade Sales, experiential Services and merchandise Sales.
Who are Elusive Brewing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Siren Craft Brew, Double-Barrelled Brewery, Weird Beard Brew Characters, Thornbridge Brewery, Bingham's Brewery, Marble Brewery, Duration Brewing and Utopian Brewery. Broad incumbents are West Berkshire Brewery and Adnams.
Does Elusive Brewing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Elusive Brewing.
What industry is Elusive Brewing in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAD, Regional & National Breweries, with a secondary code of CRANAAAC, Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise). Its NAICS code is 312120 and its SIC code is 2082.