Beer, Business and Community

On Thursday 23 April the Court of the Brewers’ Company met to approve the accounts for 2025 and then hosted a lunch at Brewers’ Hall for Liverymen and brewing industry guests.

With the approval of the accounts, the Court’s previous decision to distribute over £2.1 million to Dame Alice Owen’s School and beneficiaries in Islington from the Dame Alice Owen Foundation, has been ratified. Further distributions from the Brewers’ company’s ten other administered charities will be approved in July.

Following the Court meeting, Liverymen and their guests gathered for a lunch with a strong and deliberate focus on the brewing industry. The event was attended by senior figures from across the UK and international brewing sector, providing a valuable opportunity for discussion, networking and the exchange of perspectives within the industry. Guests represented a wide cross‑section of the brewing world, from family‑owned and regional breweries to global brewing businesses.

At the conclusion of the meal, beer writer and industry commentator Pete Brown addressed guests, offering an engaging and thought‑provoking perspective on the position of beer within contemporary culture and media. He emphasised the need for conversations about beer to move beyond specialist circles and into the mainstream media, arguing that beer’s stories deserve wider recognition and coverage.