With the looming demise of the Meantime brewery from the borough of Greenwich it is regret that we have also lost another brewery from the borough and that is the Brew By Numbers brewery, which last December reported that they were leaving their riverside taproom and brewery at Morden Wharf.

Having moved production and its taproom from the Bermondsey Beer Mile at Enid Street in May 2023 to Morden Wharf, it closed the Bermondsey taproom but kept the brewing production and taproom the Greenwich taproom at Morden Wharf last December and now all production this year will be going up North.

I used to love the beer festivals at the Morden Wharf site as it was the nearest yearly festival to me. Every weekend the taproom would be buzzing with people enjoying their beers and a pizza.

The Brew By Numbers which was originally based in Bermondsey and was founded by David Seymour and Tom Hutchings in 2011, and the Brewery became a mainstay component of the Bermondsey Beer Mile.

Having been sold to a private equity company the, Breal Group last summer production has been moved to the Black Sheep brewery, Masham, North Yorkshire. The Black sheep is another brewery that the Breal Group bought in May 2023.

Like the Meantime brewery, beers will still be produced under their brand name but will now have no connection to whatsoever to its London origins.
Having worked for a few companies that were bought out by private equity companies, I can state that it is never in the interest of the workers that make up the company.

First they strip the company down to the bare minimum, starting with the staff then the equipment then the premises. Text book action that has happened to Meantime, Brick and Brew by Numbers.

All that is left is a recipe and a brand name that is as valuable as the original company, that has now disappeared.
I suppose if the company is going under it’s always best to sell up, rather than go bankrupt and have a massive debt hanging over your head for years to come.

The craft beer and real ale brewing businesses were experiencing a boom time just a few years ago but what with the state of the economy and the cost of living crisis, many brewers are struggling and many are going under.
Another factor is as a result of the boom times we now have an over saturated craft beer market, and a shrinking customer base that is not drinking as much due to multiple increases in the prices.
The Brew By Numbers said they were hit hard by increased material costs following on from the pandemic.

Another brewery, the Brick Brewery which was founded in Peckham by Ian and Sally Stewart in 2013, also went into administration at the same time that the Brew By Numbers brewery went into administration and both breweries were saved by being bought up by the Breal Group, and production will also go to Masham, North Yorkshire.

While trying to find out more about the Breal group you will find it very hard. They have a website but it tells you absolutely nothing interesting or useful about the company, like what other companies it controls. Very cagey if you ask me.