When it comes to the world of beer, Lager is big business.
Recent research from Heineken in its 2024 Beer Report shows that Lager’s share of the on-trade market by value stands at 70%. In short, two out of every three pints poured in the UK is a Lager.
And when we talk about Lager, there is really something for everyone. In the UK we’ve had a wealth of fantastic lager-focused breweries open in the last decade from Lost and Grounded to Utopian, Orbit, Braybrooke and beyond.
And if you head to Walthamstow, East London, and you’ll not only find a range of fantastic pubs, bars and restaurants, but leading breweries, too.
Established in 2016, Pillars Brewery started as a family business and remain a team of family and close friends, driven by a mutual love of Lager.
Proud to combine contemporary brewing techniques with traditional brewing principles, their beers are created within a traditional Bavarian-style brewhouse, complete with its own lauter tun.
They tailor the water profile for each brew using their onsite water treatment plant and complete the process with a minimum of four weeks of cold conditioning. And as 2024 draws to a close, the brewery has just released the latest iterations of its award-winning Icebock.
It’s beer brewed at the beginning of the year and conditioned for nine whole months, using freeze-concentration to produce unparalleled, rich flavours.
So with that in mind, we caught up with Pillars co-founder Gavin Litton and head of sales Peter Kennelly to discuss the opportunities and challenges that face a lager-focused brewery, their commitment to sustainability and why above all else, everything comes down to the quality of the liquid.