Crumbs Brewing

Crumbs Brewing was founded in 2017 by Reigate husband and wife Morgan and Elaine Arnell. After many years working in the corporate world, the pair wanted to create something together with a positive purpose at its heart. Seeing the amount of unsold bread that bakers had to deal with led them to an idea: take one carefully made artisan product that might otherwise go to waste and use it to help create another — beer.

From the beginning, the quality of the surplus bread has been treated as seriously as any conventional brewing ingredient. Crumbs' original bakery partner was Reigate's Chalk Hills Bakery, whose artisan loaves helped establish the approach. Different breads are matched with different beers, from zesty sourdough used in the Pale Ale to caraway-spiced rye incorporated into the Ruby Ale, allowing the character of the bread to contribute to the finished beer rather than simply providing a way to dispose of surplus food.

As Crumbs has grown, so has its network of bakery partners. Hobbs House Bakery in the Cotswolds joined the project in 2024, while family-run Punjab Naans supplies the imperfect naan breads used in Crumbs' Naan Laager. The brewery describes its philosophy as 'Make Waste Wonderful', combining the reduction of food waste with an insistence that the surplus ingredients it uses remain consistent and high quality.

Crumbs has developed its beers through partnerships with established breweries rather than building its own production brewery. Its brewing journey began with Goddards Brewery on the Isle of Wight, Morgan's childhood home. While that relationship established the beers, Morgan and Elaine wanted production to take place closer to their current home in Surrey, reducing the distance travelled and creating opportunities for further sustainability improvements.

A chance meeting with the team from Crafty Brewing at a Birmingham trade show provided that opportunity. Based near Cranleigh in Surrey, Crafty was much closer to Crumbs and was able to provide contract brewing facilities. Crumbs gradually transitioned production to Crafty during 2023, working to maintain the recipes and standards established through its earlier brewing partnership while significantly reducing the distance associated with production.

Sustainability remains central to the business beyond its use of surplus bread. Crumbs says its B Corp certification has encouraged continued improvements, with the move to a Surrey brewing partner reducing beer miles and the company exploring alternative formats that can further reduce its carbon footprint. The result is a beer business built around finding practical uses for high-quality ingredients that might otherwise be wasted while continually looking for ways to reduce the wider environmental impact of producing and distributing its beers.