Ridgeway Brewing

Ridgeway Brewing was established in 2002 by master brewer Peter Scholey and his wife Vanda. The brewery takes its name from the Ridgeway, the ancient route running through the English countryside that was once used by early traders and is now popular for recreation.

The name reflects the brewery's emphasis on longevity, the outdoors and adapting tradition for changing times. Ridgeway describes its approach as 'cutting edge tradition', taking established brewing heritage and combining it with modern tastes and technologies rather than attempting to reinvent traditional beer.

Ridgeway specialises in bottle-conditioned beer, although its beers have also appeared occasionally in cask at beer festivals and local outlets. Since 2016, production has taken place at brewing premises near Pulborough in West Sussex, where facilities are shared with other independent breweries.

Environmental responsibility is an important part of Ridgeway's approach. The brewery works closely with two other independent breweries at the site, sharing infrastructure and making use of heat and water generated by neighbouring brewing operations.

The site also uses solar panels that can provide enough electricity for the breweries on sunny days, while a reed bed is used for effluent treatment and spent brewing grain is passed to a local farmer for animal feed. Ridgeway describes the arrangement as a brewing cooperative designed to reduce the environmental impact of beer production.