JackRabbit Brewing Co

JackRabbit Brewing Co was founded in 2019 by two friends with a shared love of craft beer and an ambition to bring modern brewing to the Essex-Suffolk border. Its beginnings were modest, operating from a tiny converted piggery in a founder's back garden in Manningtree. Initially focused on cask beer, the brewery developed College Hop-Out, a pale ale that would evolve through several recipes to become one of its core beers.

The pandemic brought an early challenge, with pub closures forcing JackRabbit to take back significant quantities of beer. During this difficult period, the brewery created Good Times Are Coming as a gesture of support for NHS staff and other frontline workers, reflecting its connection to the local community.

In 2021 JackRabbit relocated to Prettyfields Vineyard in Ardleigh, just outside Colchester. The move coincided with a new chapter as loyal customer Bernie Barton became involved as an investor, later bringing his friend Spencer Pettitt into the business. Both undertook formal brewing studies, helping support the brewery's transition from its small-scale origins into a more ambitious operation.

Investment in a modern brewhouse, canning and labelling equipment followed in late 2021, giving JackRabbit the potential to produce 15,000 litres of beer each month. Today its range spans traditional styles and modern craft releases, with brewing, packaging and storage handled in-house. From a garden piggery to a purpose-equipped brewery at a working vineyard, JackRabbit has retained its experimental spirit and local roots.