Southsea Brewing

Southsea Brewing launched in 2016 from an unusual home inside the historic Southsea Castle, a coastal fort built by Henry VIII in 1544.

The original brewery occupied a former ammunition storage room within the castle walls. A compact 300-litre brewing system was installed alongside a small visitor space where customers could discover and buy the brewery's beers.

Southsea's beers were produced on a deliberately small scale, with an emphasis on character and freshness. The brewery's beers are unfined, unfiltered and unpasteurised, preserving the natural qualities of the finished beer.

As demand increased, the original castle brewery became increasingly restrictive. The 300-litre system was pushed to its limits, prompting the search for a larger site that could provide more brewing capacity and room to develop new styles.

In 2023 Southsea Brewing found a new production home on Milton Road in Portsmouth, around two miles from the castle. The site was fitted with a new brewhouse and fermenters, more than doubling the capacity of the original setup.

The move allowed Southsea Brewing to refine established beers while increasing production and giving the team greater flexibility to experiment with new releases.

Southsea Brewing is run as a family venture by husband-and-wife team Dave and Lorna. Dave leads the brewing operation as Head Brewer, while Lorna focuses on hospitality, with their family closely involved in the business.

Alongside the brewery, Southsea operates The Brewers Tap on Eastney Road. The micropub has 14 taps, including four cask lines, and combines Southsea's own beers with carefully selected guest releases in a relaxed, family- and dog-friendly setting.