Our Story

A LOCAL INDEPENDENT BREWERY THAT PRODUCES AWARD WINNING REGIONAL ALE IN CASK, KEG AND BOTTLE.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US

Hobsons Brewery was founded in the Shropshire market town of Cleobury Mortimer by Nick Davis and his parents back in 1993. Now one of the leading and most respected brewers in the region, we brew the "Hobsons way" with great people, the best and most local ingredients teamed with sustainable technologies. People, Pints, Planet. Our Hat Trick.

Over the years, our proudest moments include being crowned CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain with our Champion Mild in 2007 and SIBA Best Green Business in 2010 and 2021…

1989

Where It All Began

The conception of Hobsons Brewery was down to Nick Davis and his Dad Jim. They decided to start a brewery in the late eighties when Jim was running a pub in Somerset. Nick was a qualified licensed property surveyor and decided that there were better ways to enjoy life and beer than driving 1,000 miles a week!

1993

Where It Continued

Hobsons officially started in 1993 as a family business, after four months searching for premises, plant machinery and time spent researching local tastes. The first brew around Easter time was created and thrown; luckily Brew no. 2 was a success. The first sellable batch of Hobsons Best was sold to a handful of local pubs and we still brew Best today.

1993

Why Hobsons?

1994

Old Henry

Hobsons second beer was launched named Old Henry, inspired by Henry Hobson. Old Henry is a rich, auburn ale that we still brew today. Old Henry is available all year round in bottle, with seasonal brews in cask too.

1995

Hear Ye!

In 1995, Town Crier was launched. This crisp, golden ale is our most popular brew. Town Crier is available all year round in bottles and cask.

2000

1,000 Brews!

In 2000, founder Jim Davis retired. 2000 also marked our 1,000th brew which tied in nicely with the Millennium!

2007

Mild Became a Champion

On the 7th August 2007 Hobsons Mild was named Champion Beer of Britain at the 30th Great British Beer Festival. Mild was judged to be the best beer in Britain by a panel of brewers, beer writers and journalists, from over fifty finalists in eight categories including beers from tiny micros to major regional brewers!

2010

Green Business Award

Hobsons picked up the Best Green Business Award and the Best Overall Business Award at the 2010 SIBA Awards ceremony. Judges praised Hobsons Brewery for its exceptional attitude towards sustainable technologies, quality and the culture of local brewing. Our onsite wind turbine Windy Wendy was erected in 2009 and contributed to our win.

2012

old Prickly Was Born

Old Prickly was brewed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. Old Prickly stuck as a permanent beer in cask and bottle, since 2012 we have donated in excess of £46,000 to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society!

2014

Brewery Taproom Opens

In April 2014 we opened a new facility at the brewery to host brewery trips and special events. The project received funding from Defra's Rural Development Programme for England and was officially opened on 2nd April 2014 by Rural Affairs Minister Dan Rogerson. This facility is now Hobsons Brewery Taproom!

2015

Evolution Arrives

In 2015 we launched Evolution as our first beer in keg! In the same year Dhustone Stout was also brewed for the first time. Originally named Shropshire Stout and only available in bottle, Dhustone Stout has since become a permanent beer in bottle and keg. It’s brewed seasonally in cask too!

2018

Meet Sylvia

In 2018 we welcomed home our new airstream trailer bar, Sylvia. Sylvia is our well-loved mobile bar, featuring at many events we attend each year including Ludlow Food Festival. If you see Sylvia at an event, be sure to stop by for a pint of your favourite brew!

2019

Shropstar is here to stay

Shropstar was launched! Shropstar was first brewed as a Special Christmas beer in cask and bottle in 2019. It received such positive feedback from publicans and private customers, it is now part of our core range! 2019 also marked the opening of Hobsons Brewery Taproom as an onsite bar, hosting various events throughout the year.

2021

Green Business Award, Take ll

Hobsons won Best Green Business for a second time at the SIBA Business Awards. Judges commented that we continue to be at the forefront of green innovation and set an example for other breweries.

2023

Dirty Gerties, Number 30

2023 welcomes 30 years of Hobsons Brewing. A British IPA, Dirty Gertie, was brewed in celebration! Every bottle features 8 unique bingo numbers, but there's a winning combination to be found. Will you find a winner?

OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT

Since our humble beginnings in 1993, we have stood by an ethos of being a local sustainable brewery. We continually practice to brew the "green way" with a serious commitment to wind, sun and waste power generation. It’s not just a tagline, it’s a culture in the brewery to seek out innovative solutions, question our materials and processes, harness our environmental assets and routinely look to reduce waste. And it’s a team effort!