Eight of the best craft breweries in the UK

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Hawkshead Brewery, Staveley, Cumbria

Hawkshead Brewery has long been "a place of pilgrimage for beer fans", said Stephen Emms in The Sunday Times. This "Lakeland institution" came into being 21 years ago outside the village of Hawkshead and in 2006 the brewery relocated to Staveley. The brewery has a glass-fronted beer hall with 14 hand pumps, including the 3.5% Windermere Pale, which won silver at this year's World Beer Awards. hawksheadbrewery.co.uk

Fierce Beer, Aberdeen

Fierce – Scottish Brewery of the Year 2021 – opened a bar in Aberdeen in 2018 and now has outposts in Edinburgh and Manchester. Visitors can try "a huge range of beers across its 20 taps", said Thomas Durham on AberdeenLive. Beers include the vegan Fierce Rhubarb pale ale and the Berry Big Moose stout with raspberry and toasted coconut. fiercebeer.com

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Beak Brewery, Lewes, East Sussex

Lewes is home to several breweries including Beak, a small independent brewery and taproom with fire pits and vegan street food. Beak has 15 keg lines "devoted to brewery-fresh beer", said Ale House Rock, alongside a guest beer fridge and a natural, bio-dynamic wine list curated by the youngest Master of Wine in the UK. beakbrewery.com

Verdant Brewing Co, Cornwall

Verdant has a "cute" taproom on Quay Street in Falmouth, said Emms in The Sunday Times, serving eight beers alongside seafood in "small-plate portions". The First Note pale ale is "especially recommended". Verdant's bigger main brewery, located three miles away in Penryn, has 16 kegs and four casks. verdantbrewing.co

Boundary Brewing, Belfast

In November 2022, after "10 years in the making", said Sophie McLaughlin on BelfastLive, independent brewer Boundary opened Northern Ireland's first taproom in Belfast. There are 20 notable taps, like the zesty Tropical Pale Ale, as well as three fridges full of Boundary cans and an "amazing" wine list. boundarybrewing.coop

Polly's Brew Co, Flintshire

One of the "most highly-regarded" craft breweries in the UK, said Ed Gilbert on WalesOnline, Polly's in Mold, Flintshire, has been producing "modern hoppy beers" since 2018. Originally based in a former stable "where the owner's family horse Polly used to live", it's certainly "one of the more quirky inspirations for a brewery name". From pale ales to IPAs, Polly's beers "lean towards the hazy New England style". pollysbrew.co 

Knoydart Brewery, Scottish Highlands

This brewery is located inside a tiny chapel in the "remotest part of mainland Britain", said Life/Redefined. Surrounded by 85 square miles of "wilderness", this is definitely the place to go if you're "craving a fresh cold beer with an incredible view". Beers such as Millburn Pale Ale, Heavenly Blonde and Nevis Lager are made using "clear mountain water". knoydartbrewery.co.uk 

Cloudwater Brew Co, Manchester

Manchester's Cloudwater Brew Co was "crowned the best independent brewery in the UK" in 2021, The Drinks Business reported. Cloudwater has a taproom and takeout shop located next door to its brewery at Piccadilly Trading Estate, and it also has a community pub, Sadler's Cat, in the heart of the city's NOMA neighbourhood. cloudwaterbrew.co