Stroud Brewery’s IPA has been named best organic beer in the UK at the Soil Association’s BOOM (Best of the Organic Market) Awards.
A few days previously, the business was honoured with the corporate social responsibility award at the C2S Southwest Business Awards, celebrating it as the region’s most outstanding example of business as a force for good.
The BOOM Awards recognise innovation and excellence across the UK’s organic sectors, including food, farming, beauty, and fashion.
The IPA impressed judges with its mix of tropical fruit flavours and its packaging, which playfully suggests organic and which uses biodegradable and compostable labels made from wood pulp sourced from managed plantations. Stroud Brewery was the first in the UK to switch from oil-derived plastic labels. The brewery’s Tom Long amber ale was highly commended.
“We’re so grateful to the judges of both awards,” said Stroud Brewery founder Greg Pilley. “These wins are a huge boost, not just for the brewery, but for the community of Stroud that helped build it.”
From the beginning, Stroud Brewery has operated with more than profit in mind. Founded on the belief that business should be a driver for positive change, the brewery has embedded environmental and social purpose into its DNA.
This has led to it becoming a hub for community activity, with at least 10 events taking place every week in the function rooms. The free use of these rooms has enabled charities and community projects to get under way — one has gone on to become international.
Stroud Brewery founder and managing director Greg Pilley
The brewery has been a company friend of local environmental charity Stroud Valleys Project for more than 10 years. The partnership sees this volunteer group bottling the brewery’s beer waste for gardeners to use in environmentally friendlier slug traps. The brewery supports charities with donations of prizes for events and raffles and, in 2024, 8.2% of net profits was donated to local charities and community groups.
The brewery is also proud that the taproom’s a place where many young people have their first work experience. More than 50% of staff are under 24 years old, so training is viewed as very important to help equip them with skills not just for working at a brewery taproom, but for their future careers.
“Local people’s response and support was beyond what I’d hoped for when I first aired this mad idea of resurrecting Stroud’s Brewery,” said Greg. “They got behind me from the first and have been there for us ever since.
“They provided the initial investment needed to get the brewery started, and invested again to expand the brewery. When our future looked precarious during the pandemic, they raised over £114,000 in a crowdfunding appeal to keep the brewery afloat until the lockdowns ended and we could start trading again.
“We’re doing what we can to support it in return. And we love the fact that they also love our beer because, in the end, if people don’t drink our beer, we wouldn’t have a business and we couldn’t do all this other great stuff!”
