Brixton Brewery ColdHarbour Lager 12 x 330 ml Can

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Brixton, you know, has this amazing energy and uniqueness that you feel as you pop out of the tube station. It’s like nowhere else. It’s unique, but as I said, it’s the values that Brixton represents that makes it special and people can really relate to those.” Local restaurants partnering Brixton Brewery include OKAN (Japanese street food), Baba G’s (Indian burgers) and Caribbean restaurant Fish, Wings & Tings. The shop has been here since the ’50s and was originally owned and run by my dad, so I spent my whole childhood in this area. Our house was a short walk away, and I’d come over here every weekend to help with the deep cleaning. When my dad passed away 30 years ago my husband Jimmy and I took over. He does the cooking and I do the paperwork, deliveries and all that side of things. And the children are involved too. Our girls are at uni now but they come in to help when they can.

He adds people will choose Brixton’s beers because “we’re a recognisable and trusted brand. The branding is ‘stand-out’, it’s exciting, it’s colourful, it tells a story of where the beers are inspired from and our story is relatable as well as being from humble beginnings. We sat down for a beer and a chat with Brian, owner of Caribbean restaurant Fish, Wings & Tings at the entrance to Brixton Village market on Coldharbour Lane. In terms of a consumer’s perspective, craft is as exciting as it’s ever been. More people are discovering the kinds of beers we produce, which we call ‘modern classics with a Brixton twist’. They’re familiar styles and they’re exciting consumers. People are trading up to the kind of beers we produce.” As part of our Characters of Coldharbour Lane series celebrating the people behind the street that inspired Coldharbour Lager, we met with Cid to talk about her time in Brixton. Building prices have gone up and that’s good for us. We have noticed a change in the people that come into the shop. But nowhere is ever stagnant and the same for long, is it? Everything changes and we have to change with it. Really the only thing that hasn’t changed is fish and chips!It’s not all about the celebrities though. We also do open mic nights which are great too. We’ve had people from Italy, Spain, rapping in Italian. We get lots of local young kids performing too, there’s so much talent in Brixton. It’s all about exciting consumers with the brand and obviously high-quality, consistent products that they trust – that’s what craft is focusing on now.” He says: “If you’ve got a strong brand and you’ve got a high-quality product, there’s always a place for you in the market. Drinkers are adding craft more and more to their repertoire, more people are trying craft and that’s why you see the market share going up.

Galaun says the brewery takes inspiration from “local places and architecture” and there are plenty of on-trade outlets in Brixton that sells its beers. If you’ve got a strong brand and you’ve got a high-quality product, there’s always a place for you in the market.” Spreading the wordAs I came into Brixton the following day I noticed that the entrance to the market was open. So by divine faith I went straight in and spoke with the market manager. I told him what I wanted to do. I’d already had the idea for the restaurant 25 years ago so it was easy for me to pitch it- good homemade Caribbean food, made with the passion of my grandma. Lots of bright colours and flavours: Brixton was the perfect place for that! He asked me to write him a proposal, and eventually offered me the space. Brixton has always had this energy and this vibe, but it is the sense of community above all which makes it special. You come to work in the morning and people say hello to you. We buy 95% of our produce from the market. If someone comes to us with no money for food we give them a meal. It feels like home to me. About 85% of its craft beer output is through kegged products for the on-trade such as its core Coldharbour Lager at 4.4% ABV and Reliance Pale Ale at 4.2% ABV. “They both have a fantastic appeal. When we create beers, we’re always seeking balance. Brixton’s free-spirited Coldharbour Lane gave us the spark of inspiration to create Coldharbour Lager, a super-refreshing pilsner-style beer with Bohemian origins. Our content series, Characters of Coldharbour Lane, pays tribute to the people behind the street.

We try to make beers that are flavourful but have a broad appeal as well. We’ve got hoppier beers such as Atlantic American Pale Ale (5.4% ABV), Low Voltage Session IPA (4.3% ABV) and Electric IPA (6% ABV) but the two most popular in the on-trade are Coldharbour and Reliance.” The area has changed a lot since I grew up here. I was here during the riots, but I love Brixton. With people who aren’t from here I always think they just need to come for a tour! There’s respect both ways. If you’re honest and straight up with people they’re the same with you. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Brixton’s free-spirited Coldharbour Lane gave us the spark of inspiration to create Coldharbour Lager, a super-refreshing pilsner-style beer with Bohemian origins. Our content series, Characters of Coldharbour Lane, pays tribute to the people along the street. We’ve always tried to brew modern classics and that’s what you are seeing from other craft brewers as well. Hoppy beers are popular, as are hazy beers, but things like lager are becoming more widely brewed, I would say. It’s just about making modern interpretations of classic styles and that is going to stand craft in good stead.”

9. Check out what’s on at Pop Brixton and the Prince of Wales

There are some people who still come in who knew my dad, but a lot of them are passing away- he would have been in his 80s now. Chip Shop is based at 378 Coldharbour Lane, right at the point where the street crosses over Brixton’s bustling Atlantic Road. Its walls are spray-painted with the larger-than-life faces of some of hip hop’s biggest names: 2Pac, Biggie Smalls, Eazy-E and more. Why? Brainchild of MICHAEL LYTHGOE and partner CIDALIA RODRIGUEZ, the unconventional restaurant brings together their two great loves- fish and chips, and hip hop. A curious combination, that absolutely works.

This autumn, Brixton Brewery is looking to support the on-trade with an initiative to help pubs, which also has a competition.Our focus at the moment is making our beers available in more pubs around the country,” Galaun says. “We did some research at the beginning of the year and found the Brixton brand has very broad appeal all over the UK. We obviously started in south London and are radiating out from there. We know the values Brixton represents has very broad appeal as well and that’s what we’re looking to celebrate with the Get A Taste of Brixton​ campaign.