Despite being more than 300 miles away, independent brewers from Northern Ireland found it easier to have their beers served in Parliament than they do in their local pubs back home.
Northern Ireland minister Baroness Anderson with William Mayne (left), from Bullhouse Brew Co, and Barry Watts, head of public affairs at SIBA
Representatives flew their beers into Westminster yesterday to raise awareness of the severe market restrictions preventing their growth. This means that 99% of beer sold in Northern Ireland is from imported global brands, leaving the 17 small independent breweries with little choice but to export.
They called on MPs and the Northern Ireland minister to support urgent changes to the 124-year-old licensing system. Under the country’s Surrender Principle, an existing license must be surrendered before a new one is granted.
In many parts of Northern Ireland, obtaining a new license is impossible. Where available, a license costs a minimum of £120,000, with some recent transactions exceeding £1 million — a figure only achievable by signing exclusive supply agreements to unlock funding from global beer conglomerates.
In contrast, developers investing £500,000 in an upstairs 10-room apart-hotel receive a license allowing them to operate as a pub on the ground floor, outside the Surrender Principle. A brewery investing £1 million into local manufacturing would be forced to attempt to secure a license via the Surrender Principle.
Jennifer Noble (left), from Treble Brewery, with Sharon Hodgson MP
In Britain, small breweries can apply directly for a premises licence, allowing 46% of independent brewers to run thriving community taprooms. Meanwhile, recent figures from SIBA show Northern Ireland lost a fifth of its breweries in the first six months of 2026 alone — the highest rate of closures in the UK.
“It’s often easier for a beer drinker to get their hands on a Northern Irish beer in London or Manchester than it is in Belfast,” said William Mayne, managing director of Bullhouse Brewery. “Consumers are losing out, local pubs can’t stock local products, and small producers are being pushed to the brink. While developers get free licenses for hotels, local manufacturers are locked out. We need real reform of the licensing laws to create a level playing field and support local manufacturing.
“MPs got a chance to enjoy the world-class beers being produced in Northern Ireland. Ironically, it’s easier to serve our beer in the Palace of Westminster than to a pub in my local town, Newtownards. Consumers in Northern Ireland want our products and we will continue calling for reform until we can satisfy local demand and provide much needed consumer choice.”
