Barley and beer
Breweries in Suffolk and Norfolk
Take a tour and see why Norfolk and Suffolk produce the best beer in the UK
Suffolk and Norfolk have microbreweries than any other part of the country. The reason why? Suffolk and Norfolk's malting barley is amongst the best in the country because it is grown at height and in salty sea frets. Enjoy a brewery tour...
Woodforde’s Brewery
Named in honour of Parson James Woodforde, an 18th Century clergyman who wrote lovingly in his diaries of a love for good food and great beer, Woodforde’s Brewery was created in 1981 to showcase fabulous Norfolk ingredients.
Take a behind the scenes tour and you’ll be led by an experienced tour guide and immersed into the history of our beer.
Thing to do nearby: Settle in for lunch or an early evening meal at the brewery tap, the idyllic Fur & Feather with its thatched room and pond. Visit Wroxham, the heart of the Broads National Park, and hire a boat at Barnes Brinkcraft.
The Fur and Feather, Woodbastwick is the brewery tap of Woodforde's
Adnams Brewery, Southwold
Adnams BreweryTour
Visit the iconic Southwold Brewery and discover how the award-winning beers are brewed. Led by an experienced Tour Guide, you'll look behind the scenes and follow the state-of-the-art brewing process from grain to glass. You'll also explore Southwold's rich brewing heritage, with documented brewing on the site going right back to the fourteenth century.
Each 90-minute tour concludes with a tasting of various beer styles, from pale ale and lager to stout, bitter and barley wine, all made in the Southwold brewery.
Things to do nearby: You’re just off the High Street in this charming and unspoilt seaside town. Browse the independent boutiques, galleries, delis and restaurants and have lunch at The Swan or one of Adnams' fine traditional pubs dotted around the town. Don't miss a walk on the Victorian Pier with its quirky amusements.
Head to the Old Hall for the refreshments with stunning views over the Blyth river, and enjoy a stroll along Blackshore Harbour with fishing boats and seafood shacks and cafes.
Duration Brewing – Tours, Shop + Bar
Operated by married couple Miranda Hudson and Derek Bates, award-winning Duration Brewery is run from a restored 16th century stone barn on the West Acre Estate in west Norfolk.
Based at Abbey Farm in the historic ruins of an old priory and with a taproom and shop, Duration make beautifully balanced fresh beers and wild ales brewed from nature with purpose. All brewed with a sense of time and origin, respecting where we are in history and nature.
Miranda's and Derek's vision is to build a destination farmhouse brewery that is educational, pioneering and brings jobs and skills to the area.
The venue has local street food and drinks on Fridays and over the weekend in the courtyard or book yourself in for a Tour + Tasting Experience.
Thing to do nearby: Head to Castle Acre Priory for great walks, or get out on the water with Norfolk Paddle Adventure. For history, visit Oxburgh Hall. Why not stay at Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa or Hanks Ranch.
St Peter’s Brewery
One of England’s original craft breweries, founded in 1996 in the grounds of moated St Peter’s Hall, deep in the picturesque Suffolk countryside.
Beers brewed at St Peter’s Brewery use water filtered through chalk deep beneath the brewery, obtained from a deep bore hole.
There are no tours but go to the visitors’ centre to learn the St Peters Brewery story and take a look at the wide range of beers available in the hop.
Thing to do nearby: Head to Beccles and hire a boat at Hippersons or a canoe at Three Rivers Pitch and Paddle.
Barsham Brewery Taproom
Set in the heart of the Barsham Estate, The Taproom is a great place to relax with friends, sip award-winning beer brewed just a few metres away and soak up the atmosphere of rural Norfolk. The perfect place to kick back and unwind after a coastal walk.
Things to do nearby: Visit 700-acre Pensthorpe, a nature reserve with a difference or try a stately home and estate at Houghton or Holkham.
Whin Hill Norfolk Cider
Whin Hill Norfolk Cider, situated in the lovely seaside town of Wells-next-the-Sea, is dedicated to producing quality cider, perry and apple juice from their own locally grown ingredients using traditional production methods.
Visit the ciderworks and shop and relax in the secluded courtyard with your choice of tipple.
Things to do nearby: Visit magnificent Holkham Hall and Estate, discover the Instagram-perfect 200 multi-coloured beach huts on Wells-next-the-Sea beach or take a boat trip to see the UK’s largest seal colony at Blakeney with Beans Boats or Bishops Boats.
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