Tales of 20 Taprooms: Celebrating Norfolk’s Breweries and Microbreweries – Volume 1

Norfolk’s brewing landscape hums with quiet craft and bold character. Often hidden away down winding lanes and behind ivy-covered walls, small teams gather to coax flavour from barley, water and yeast. These aren’t just breweries, they’re places of stories, songs, and sunlight delivered through pint glasses. Some stand rooted in centuries-old heritage, others rise from repurposed barns or city corners, but each pours an East Anglian pint worth seeking out.

This first volume in our brewery series explores ten taprooms and brewers who shape the flavour of the county; those who host dances beside tanks, write books inspired by their craft, or simply believe a pint should taste like a place. Whether you visit for the beer, the welcome, or the view, here’s where the trail begins.

Adnams in Southwold: Sustainability & Heritage

Adnams is one of East Anglia’s oldest and most prolific brewers, proudly based in the coastal town of Southwold, where beer has been brewed for over 670 years. Alongside its flagship beers like Ghost Ship and Mosaic Pale, Adnams is a champion of sustainability, running on 100 per cent renewable electricity and sharing its carbon footprint data openly. Visitors can explore the stylish Adnams Store and Café, converted from the old brewhouse, where beer, spirits and wines are available to try and buy. Don’t miss their Viognier, a fragrant white wine that rivals the best and is one of our personal favourites that we regularly pick up from our nearby Adnams shop on Unthank Road in Norwich. With its brewing heritage and modern environmental focus, Adnams blends tradition and innovation beautifully.

Ampersand Brew Co in Diss: Growing Batches, Big Flavour

Ampersand is a modern, family-run brewery based in Diss, known for its seasonal, small-batch beers with punchy flavour and style. Their recently expanded taproom has become a local favourite, especially in summer, thanks to its relaxed sun-trap seating area out front and prime location within minutes of the Diss high street. Ampersand also runs The Cap in Harleston, a taproom with 15 beers on draught and regular tie-ins with some of Norfolk’s best street food vendors. It’s a great spot to try a flight of their latest brews alongside a proper meal. The brewery is currently celebrating its 5th anniversary with a series of limited edition beers released monthly through to August, making it an exciting time to visit or pick up something new.

Barsham Brewery in North Norfolk: From Field to Firkin

Barsham Brewery sits on a working estate near Wells-next-the-Sea and brews with its own Maris Otter barley grown just metres from the brewhouse. The taproom and shop are open seven days a week (hours vary), serving fresh pints and offering takeaway bottles. The site regularly hosts events, from Paint & Sip nights (1 May) to brewery tours and seafood street food with DJ sets on 17 May. Monthly favourites include Flight or Flight Thursdays, where £8 gets you four half pints and free darts. On 30 May, Streetfood Friday returns with Churros & Chorizo, Elsie’s Pizza, Rabbit & Run and more. Whether for a sunny pint or local festival vibes, Barsham blends countryside calm with community energy.

Bruha Brewing: Clean, Crisp, and Creatively Connected

Bruha brews crisp, modern beers from their Suffolk base, with favourites like the light and refreshing Lagom Gold, the bohemian Pressburger Pils, and their signature brew, Temple Helles. Known for clean branding and approachable flavour profiles, Bruha beers frequently appear on tap across Norfolk’s top food-led venues. They also link up with The Appleyard in nearby Banham to supply a constant flow of goodness to The Barrel Sessions  (intimate music nights showcasing rising and independent artists like The Vagaband and the Samuel Easter Band). These sessions are a great way to discover new sounds while enjoying cold Bruha beers in a laid-back setting. Whether you’re sipping at a gastropub or dancing under festoon lights, Bruha keeps things simple, stylish and refreshingly local.

Chalk Hill Brewery in Norwich: Traditional Ale with Staying Power

Now located on Rosary Road, Chalk Hill Brewery has been crafting real ales in Norwich for over 50 years. The brewery operates from a custom-built 15-barrel plant, producing both permanent fixtures like CHB and Tap, as well as rotating session ales. Chalk Hill supplies the nearby Coach and Horses pub, a local favourite known for pouring fresh pints straight from the source. The brewery also offers free tours, giving visitors a behind-the-scenes look at how its award-winning ales are made. For those keen to learn more about traditional brewing in a modern setting, Chalk Hill remains one of the city’s most authentic experiences.

Duration Brewing in West Acre: Award-Winning Farmhouse Ales and Tap Days

Duration Brewing has grown from brewing just a few times a month to producing nearly 2 million pints, scooping over 25 awards, including Best Brewery Tour in East Anglia. Based in a beautifully converted priory barn near King’s Lynn, Duration now runs Tap Days every Saturday (12–8) and Sunday (12–6) from spring to autumn, featuring street food, six beers on tap, and a sunny courtyard with family- and dog-friendly vibes. Don’t miss their lemon and thyme grisette Lekkerding, part of their new Farmhouse Exploration Series, or award-winning flagship Turtles. With tours, snacks, AF/GF options and rotating traders like Randy’s Seafood and Tapas Shack, it’s one of Norfolk’s finest brewery destinations; stylish, sustainable and full of bold ideas.

Fat Cat Brewery in Norwich: Proper Pints and Pub Royalty

A true Norwich staple, Fat Cat Brewery operates from The Brewery Tap on Lawson Road; a lively venue that doesn’t look much from the outside but is crammed full of tradition and life inside with music nights, quizzes, and epic loaded chip buckets from MotherChip. The brewery supplies its award-winning beers like Norwich Bitter and Tom Cat IPA to many local venues, including its famed sister pubs. The Fat Cat on West End Street has twice won CAMRA National Pub of the Year and holds the Good Pub Guide Beer Pub of the Year title a record 11 times. This is our top recommendation for a pint of joy alongside their legendary local pork pies with a huge dollop of mustard! The Fat Cat & Canary, over on Thorpe Road, is the other sister pub; popular for its real ale range and cracking roasts. You’ll also find their beers regularly at newer Norwich venues like Hop Rocket on Unthank Road.

Grain Brewery in Alburgh: Scenic Pints and Seasonal Celebrations

Grain’s countryside taproom (open Fridays and Saturdays, 12–7) offers a relaxed café and a rotating selection of small-batch beers. This brewery is highly collaborative, and obviously there’s an innate passion here for what they do. Grain runs monthly tours (bookable online or on the day), giving a flavour-packed insight into the brewing process; often a taste straight from the tank. Grain also hosts standout events like GRAIN FEST, Grooves at Grain, and the Hop Harvest Party, with music and street food throughout the summer. 

PS: If you’re heading to Alburgh, don’t miss Flint Vineyard just down the road. Their Fumé is a simply stunning take on Bacchus. Worth sipping crisp and cool from a glass in their small seating area, this white wine in particular proves English winemaking is just as exciting as the beer.

Humpty Dumpty Brewery in Reedham: Steam History and Riverside Ales

Founded in 1998 and based on Church Road, Reedham since 2001, Humpty Dumpty Brewery takes its name from the GER Class T-19R steam locomotives that once ran the Norwich to Lowestoft line. Today, it delivers cask and bottle-conditioned ales across Norfolk and Suffolk and operates a welcoming brewery shop, open daily (12–5pm). Visitors can enjoy draught beer and cider on weekends and holidays. Don’t miss their VE Pale Ale (4.5%) – a citrusy limited brew made with hops from seven allied nations. 

The brewery hosts regular events, including Taproom Open Weekends, the buzzing Reedham Beer Festival (18–20 July), and a festive Christmas Open Weekend (6–7 December). Whether dropping in on foot, bike, or boat, this is a proper Broads brewery worth the detour.

Lacons Brewery in Great Yarmouth: Revived Heritage and Bold New Brews

Established in 1760, Lacons was closed during a 1960s takeover. However, in 2013, the falcon returned. Reclaiming its independence, Lacons reawakened eight original yeast strains from the National Yeast Bank, endowing its beers with heritage and depth. Now brewing with Norfolk malt from Crisp Maltings, Lacons produces both modern ales like Encore, Legacy, and Lgr, and aged heritage styles based on recipes from as early as 1866. Their on-site brewery museum showcases rare memorabilia, including a 1957 tour film. Lacons has won over 130 awards and continues to blend tradition with innovation. Look out for their Falcon crest (now symbolising the brewery’s proud return) and enjoy beers crafted with patience, purpose, and a deep sense of place.

Moon Gazer Ale in Hindringham: Small Batch, Big Heart, and Gluten-Free Craft

Moon Gazer Ale is the craft beer brand of The Norfolk Brewhouse, run by Rachel and David Holliday from a lovingly restored barn on their North Norfolk farm. Using chalk-filtered water from their own well and the region’s finest malting barley, they craft beers with genuine character and care. Their brews, like StubbleStag and Moon Gazer Amber, are named after the wild hares seen nearby, and their passion for place even inspired a mindfulness-themed Moon Gazer Tales book. Known for their gluten-free excellence, Moon Gazer’s award-winning beers such as Pintale Pale, DewHopper, and Galton’s Lager prove that dietary-friendly brews need not compromise on flavour. With every pint, this small Norfolk team shows how thoughtful brewing can leave a lasting impression.

As the days stretch longer and sunlight spills across beer gardens, there’s no better moment to lift a glass to Norfolk’s brewing soul. Each of these taprooms holds a seat for those who seek something honest, crafted, and rooted in the land. And with Norwich’s City of Ale 2025 just around the corner (bringing together over 50 pubs, brewers and drinkers in celebration), it’s the perfect time to explore these stories for yourself. Walk the trail, share a toast, and keep your ears open for the next chapter. Volume 2 is already fermenting.