Independent Suffolk brewery founded by school friends Ian Hornsey and Dick Burge in 1986. Now based at Rodbridge Corner in Long Melford, Nethergate combines longstanding beers such as Old Growler and Suffolk County with modern styles, its own well water, distilling and a strong emphasis on taprooms, tours and local community.
Brewery story
Nethergate began in 1986 after old school friends Ian Hornsey and Dick Burge found themselves in a Clare pub discussing the disappointing state of local beer. Ian, a trained microbiologist, and Dick, with a head for business, decided Suffolk deserved better. They bought a small 10-barrel Peter Austin brewery on Nethergate Street in Clare and set out to make beer they were proud to drink themselves.
Two early beers quickly established the brewery's reputation. Suffolk County was its first real ale, while a Christmas special called Christmas Cracker proved too popular to remain seasonal. Renamed Old Growler after Ian's bulldog and brewery mascot, it became Nethergate's flagship and went on to win Champion Winter Beer of Britain twice. As demand grew, the brewery moved to a larger 45-barrel brewhouse at Pentlow in 2004.
The brewery went through a turbulent period in the early 2010s when its founders prepared to retire and new investors renamed the business Growler Brewery. Recipes and beers changed, but in 2014 Dick returned with a group determined to restore Nethergate's identity. The original name and much-loved beers came back, beginning a new chapter that eventually brought the brewery home to Suffolk.
In 2017 Nethergate moved to its current two-acre site at Rodbridge Corner in Long Melford. Here, Head Brewer Ian Carson and the team combine longstanding ales such as Old Growler and Suffolk County with newer beers including craft lager and low-alcohol styles, using water drawn from the brewery's own well in the Stour Valley. A distillery was added in 2021, with copper stills Bonnie and Clyde producing gin and rum alongside the beer.
Long Melford has also become a destination rather than simply a production site, with a taproom, shop, events and brewery and distillery tours. A second taproom and shop opened in a historic building in Bury St Edmunds in late 2020. Nearly four decades after that first conversation in a Clare pub, Nethergate remains proudly independent and rooted in Suffolk, combining its brewing heritage with an increasingly strong focus on hospitality and community.
Taprooms & tours
Nethergate has 2 taprooms to visit. Explore each location for addresses, directions and opening-time information.
Brewery tours available
See behind the scenes and discover how the beer is made.
Taproom 1
Rodbridge Corner, Long Melford, CO10 9HJ
The taproom and shop at Nethergate's two-acre Long Melford brewery, serving cask ales on handpump alongside the modern Growling Dog range on keg. The brewery also hosts live music, quizzes, seasonal events and brewery and distillery tours.
Taproom 2
Nethergate's town-centre shop and taproom occupies a historic 200-year-old building in Bury St Edmunds. Opened in late 2020, it combines a specialist beer shop with a relaxed bar serving Nethergate beer and tasting flights alongside selected local cider and spirits.
