Saltaire Brewery

Saltaire Brewery's story began not in a brewhouse, but on a brewing course. In 2003 founder Tony Gartland met industrial chemist Derek Todd while attending Brewlab in Newcastle. A shared enthusiasm for flavour, quality and brewing developed into plans for a brewery of their own, drawing inspiration from the industrial and manufacturing heritage of the part of Yorkshire they called home.

The pair established what was then one of Yorkshire's early modern microbreweries, installing a bespoke 20-barrel brewing plant before beer began reaching drinkers in the mid-2000s. Saltaire found its home at County Works in Shipley, occupying a converted former gasworks beside the River Aire and close to the historic village from which the brewery takes its name.

Early beers including Saltaire Blonde and Cascade Pale helped establish the brewery's reputation, combining accessible drinking with the quality and consistency that became central to the business. Saltaire developed particularly strong roots in cask ale, but its range gradually broadened into bottled, canned and keg beer as the brewery reached drinkers far beyond West Yorkshire. Triple Choc became one of its most recognised beers, collecting multiple awards along the way.

Growth eventually required another major investment. In 2017 Saltaire installed a state-of-the-art 40-barrel brewhouse, substantially increasing its brewing capability. An in-house packaging facility followed, allowing the brewery to exercise greater control over beer from brewing through to the finished package while also opening the door to contract brewing and packaging for other producers.

From those beginnings, production has grown to more than five million pints a year. Saltaire beers now travel to pubs, shops and drinkers across the UK and beyond, but the brewery continues to present itself firmly through its Yorkshire identity. Its philosophy remains centred on beer that is high quality, approachable and brewed with purpose rather than simply pursuing scale for its own sake.

The Shipley brewery is also somewhere drinkers can experience Saltaire at its source. Its onsite Taproom sits immediately alongside the brewhouse, with six hand pulls and eight keg lines pouring everything from established cask ales and lagers to limited releases. New beers can sometimes be tasted here before reaching the wider trade, reinforcing the connection between the working brewery and the people drinking its beer.

The Taproom has become a destination in its own right, helped by its position beside the canal and within walking distance of Shipley station and historic Saltaire. Brewery tours take visitors behind the scenes, while events and private hire add another social dimension to the site. Dogs are welcome too, making the brewery a natural stopping point for people exploring the canal and surrounding area.

In 2026 Saltaire celebrated 20 years of selling its beer. What began with two brewers, a shared idea and a 20-barrel kit has developed into a brewery producing millions of pints while still operating from its distinctive riverside home. Now part of the Great British Drinks Company group, Saltaire combines modern brewing and packaging capability with the Yorkshire heritage, cask-beer tradition and emphasis on craftsmanship on which its reputation was built.