News On Tap
The Best Craft Beer in Manchester: A Guide to the City's Independent Breweries
Manchester has become one of the UK's leading craft beer cities, and picking a single "best" brewery is genuinely difficult. Rather than force a ranking, we've put together an overview of the independent breweries shaping the city's beer scene today, from the pub cellar that started it all to the newest names on the block.
The Pioneer
Marble Brewery
Marble is one of the most influential names in modern UK brewing, and its story starts small: a 4.5-barrel plant installed behind the Marble Arch pub on Rochdale Road in 1997. Marble beers became fully organic in 2000 and have been vegan ever since, using non-intensive ingredients and avoiding animal-derived finings. The brewery expanded twice, moving to a railway arch in 2009 and then relocating to Salford in 2019, but the original Marble Arch pub remains its spiritual home. Former head brewer James Campbell went on to co-found Cloudwater, one of several breweries that trace their roots back to Marble.
The Beermuda Triangle
Track, Cloudwater, and Sureshot
The streets and railway arches just north of Piccadilly station have become the heart of modern Manchester brewing, home to three breweries so close together that locals nicknamed the area the "Beermuda Triangle."
Cloudwater Brew Co
Founded by Paul Jones and James Campbell, Cloudwater built a reputation for quality fast. In both 2017 and 2018, it was ranked among the world's ten best breweries by RateBeer, the only UK brewery ever to make that list. Alongside its core range, Cloudwater also produces a range of non-alcoholic beers and drinks and runs its own annual festival, Friends & Family & Beer.
Track Brewing Co
Founder Sam Dyson's love of hop-forward American craft beer was sparked by a two-year, five-continent cycling trip that started with a ride across the United States. Track is known for its hoppy pale ales and IPAs, brewed and served under one roof at its Piccadilly taproom, and has become one of the most respected names in the region.
Sureshot
The newest of the trio, Sureshot started selling beer in 2022 and quickly earned its place alongside Track and Cloudwater. A short stroll from Piccadilly station, it focuses on small-batch, high-quality brewing.
The Family Business
Seven Bro7hers
Seven Bro7hers was founded by seven McAvoy brothers from Salford, inspired by their dad's home-brewing sessions in the family cellar. What started as a family experiment has grown into beerhouses across Manchester, Salford, and Liverpool, alongside a partnership bar at Manchester Airport. It remains one of the most recognisable and fastest-growing independent brewery names to come out of the city.
Beer Meets Street Food
Bundobust Brewery
Bundobust pairs its own craft beer, brewed in Manchester, with Gujarati-inspired vegetarian street food. Since expanding from its Leeds roots into Manchester and Liverpool, it's become known as much for its food and drink pairings as for the beer itself, and has picked up recognition across the UK food scene along the way.
Why It Matters to Us
Manchester Beer, Straight From the Source
Manchester's breweries aren't just names on a map to us. We've worked directly with breweries in the city, including Cloudwater, to bring their beer into our Brewery Showcase Boxes. If you'd like the full story on how that relationship came together, we wrote about it after this year's London Craft Beer Festival.
"Manchester's craft beer scene didn't happen by accident. It grew from one pub cellar in 1997 into one of the most respected brewing cities in the country."
Common Questions
Manchester Craft Beer: Your Questions Answered
What is the oldest craft brewery in Manchester?
Marble Brewery, founded in 1997 behind the Marble Arch pub, is widely regarded as the brewery that helped kickstart Manchester's modern craft beer scene.
What is the "Beermuda Triangle" in Manchester?
It's the local nickname for the cluster of breweries, Track, Cloudwater, and Sureshot, based within walking distance of each other near Piccadilly station.
Which Manchester brewery has been ranked among the best in the world?
Cloudwater Brew Co was ranked among the world's ten best breweries by RateBeer in both 2017 and 2018, the only UK brewery to ever feature on that list.
Can I buy Manchester craft beer online?
Yes. We stock beer from independent Manchester and Salford breweries as part of our rescued stock and Brewery Showcase Boxes, available to order online.
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