Pillars Brewery

Pillars Brewery was established in Walthamstow in 2016 with an unusually focused ambition: to make lager the centre of the brewery rather than simply another part of the range. Founded as a family business and still run by a team of family and close friends, Pillars describes itself as London's first independent lager brewery. From the outset it set out to challenge the idea that lager had to be anonymous or uncomplicated, showing instead how much character could be found within the style.

That specialism has shaped the brewery itself. Pillars combines contemporary techniques with traditional Bavarian brewing principles, using a brewhouse equipped with its own lauter tun and an onsite water-treatment plant that allows the water profile to be adjusted for individual beers. The process is deliberately patient too: its lagers receive a minimum of four weeks of cold conditioning, reflecting the brewery's belief that apparently simple, refreshing beer can demand considerable precision and time to make well.

While the range has expanded since 2016 and moved into 330ml stubby bottles in 2021, Pillars has remained firmly committed to its lager roots rather than following every shift in craft beer fashion. Its beers have collected regular awards along the way, but the brewery's philosophy remains deliberately accessible: lager should be well balanced, full flavoured and refreshing, without the experience surrounding it becoming exclusive or intimidating.

The Ravenswood Industrial Estate brewery is also the social heart of Pillars. Its onsite taproom lets visitors drink beer amongst the tanks where it was made, with takeaway beer, outdoor seating and visiting street-food traders adding to the experience. Live music, charity events, celebrations and private parties have helped turn the working brewery into a community venue as well as a place of production.

For Pillars, that community element is as important as the technical side of brewing. The brewery talks about lager as the beer shared at barbecues, weddings, festivals, first dates and evenings at the local pub: something capable of bringing people together without pretension. Almost a decade after opening, that combination of lager, family and community remains at the centre of what Pillars is trying to build in East London.